The Sister That Once Loved
by Meatt
Summary: Yukariko sees the error of her ways, but are the wheels she set in motion leading Yuuko down the same path? (Present Tense Fiction)
1. Betrayal

**A/N: I do not own these characters or the story's world. This fan fiction is based off of the original work of the series creator ****Maybe**

Darkness envelops the crowded room in the academy. The halls weep as the gale outside of the building seeps in through the exterior cracks and travels briskly. From behind the storage room door, the flickering lights dance under the barricade. While all is quiet in the lifeless corridor, despair, desperation, relief, and fear dance together in the air for the current event.

A group of men congregate under the darkness of the school's shadows in the occupied west-wing store room. An individual dressed in ceremonial garments stands idly by while one of the mysterious men implant nails into thin pieces of wood, meant to act as a barricade against the now-sealed basement door.

"Please help me," a raven-haired girl in her mid-teens cries out to her captors, but her voice is barely audible due to the depth in which she is located behind the sealed door.

"I'm sorry sister!" she exclaims again as she attempts to appease the anger or hatred that may reside within her sister's heart for condemning her to a fate worse than most executions, "Please help me! Father…..anyone….my leg….Please! I don't want to die down here!"

She yells as loud as her throat can manage, but her words fall on deaf ears. Not a single soul makes a motion to assist her in her plight.

Like a snake through the grass, one of them slithers to the door and places his face inches from it to make sure his voice gets through.

"Thank you, Yuuko," he tells her, "Thanks to your brave sacrifice, the people of the village will be able to live. You have my deepest gratitude." He then slithers his way back into the shadows.

All of the attending members in the current room stare at each other with their Cheshire-cat smiles as the wails of the captive woman attempt to break through to someone. Her efforts are in vain. As the attending members' excitement about the prospect of living fades, and the reality of what they had just done begins to weight their consciences, each member begins to take his leave.

A firm hand slides on the woman's shoulder in the white ceremonial outfit as one of the members slips out of the shadow to address her.

"Akihito… it is time that we leave," he says to her, removing his hand from her shoulder and walking away like he has just won the lottery.

"Please…" Yuuko whimpers from somewhere close by, "Don't leave me down here… I'm begging you." As she walks away, her heart is slowly ground into dust.

"Did I really just condemn her to death?" Akihito asks herself as she begins to walk away, leaving her sister to her fate and undressing from her ceremonial garments.

* * *

The wooden door of the Kanoe household opens as the youngest resident steps through the threshold into the barely lit hallway.

"I'm home!" Yukariko yells, but doesn't receive an answer.

Moments later, the sounds of an approaching body can be heard coming her way, like a person plowing through a group of linemen. The body turns a corner and meets her with a concerned look on its face. She can only look at her father as he tries to catch his breath from running whatever distance he's just covered.

"Where were you?" he asks, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay?"

The amount of red in these adult male eyes catches the young woman off of her guard, and she doesn't know how to answer the question.

"Father, I'm..." she begins, but just before she can finish that sentence his powerful arms constrict her slender frame. The overexertion of pressure he applies to her body forces air to escape her lungs, and it really starts to hurt.

"You're….squeezing….me...too….hard," she tries to tell him.

"I'm sorry," her parental figure softly remarks as he removes the death embrace from his youngest daughter, "I just don't know what I would do without you or Yuuko."

"Have you seen your sister?" he asks after a moment, adjusting the glasses to his now pinked face, "She went out looking for you a while ago."

"No I haven't," she replies cooly, "But I'm sure she'll be back at some point." She begins walking towards the kitchen.

As she maneuvers her way towards the sink, she can hear her father go back into whichever room he originally came from and continue doing whatever he had been focussed on before she came home. The cupboard emits an audible squeak as Yukariko open the door and retrieves a clear glass. The water from the faucet pounds the bottom of the container and then fluently flows into itself until the squeal of the faucet prevents the running liquid from escaping its metal pathway. The acquired liquid chills the back of her throat as she drinks, each drop makes its way down her esophagus and into her stomach, leaving a cool remainder that it has been there on every place it passes. The sound of glass clinking against metal fills the kitchen as Yukariko discards the glass and pushes her attention to the light ridden scenery.

"I wonder if I did the right thing?"

* * *

_"Please help me!" _

Those words ripple through the young Kanoe's head like the water that is currently in the bathtub with her, waking her from her dreamlike state as the soothing water enters all of her pores and cleans her of all of her filth. Her eyes focus on the luminous, waxing crescent moon that is possible to witness through the upper window.

On a night similar to this one, two children sit in the bathtub, staring out at the moon.

"_Let's go to the moon together, sister!_" one says, smiling excitedly.

"_You're still too young to go to the moon, Yukariko._"

"_If I'm too little, you are too!_"

"_I'm be old enough before you will,_" Yuuko says, sticking her tongue out at her.

Yukariko puffs up and splashes water, which initiates a cheerful tub fight.

The memory is quickly ejecting from her mind as she removes herself from the tub and retrieves a fluffy towel. The sensation of the linen's hair sweeping across her skin causes her facial complexion to turn warmer and pinker. Out of the corner of her eye, she catches the glimpse of something move. Her heads shoots towards the tub. An image of her sister in the tub, looking in her direction with a warm smile, dissipates from her sight. The wires in her brain fire sparks, pushing it further into the red. She doesn't know whether or not to believe what she has just seen.

* * *

The teeth of Yukariko's pink comb glide gently through her black and curly hair as she sits in front of her mirror and stares at herself.

_"What's the most important thing to you, sister?" Yukariko asks, sliding the white comb through her older sister's hair._

_"Why are you asking such silly question, Yukariko?" she says, giving her a warm smile, "You are, of course. What's the most important thing to you?"_

_"You are, sister."_

"I wonder if I did the right thing," Yukariko thinks to herself in the present, placing her hands together as she bows her head, "Please, God. If I made the wrong decision, send me a sign."

The slapping of skin shoots through the air as her fingers intertwine and rest on top of her lowered head. Seconds turn to minutes, but only the sound of silence decides to remain in her presence as her eyes dance around her room in search of any hidden messages that God may try to hand her. However, no answers of that nature come. Placing the comb on the dresser, the young woman places herself under her covers and prepares for bed.

Every echo of her footsteps brings her one step closer to the edge. Her feet burn with fatigue, her calves sting of overexertion, and her will for progression begins to waver. The abyss road she traverses stretches on for eternity as each step she takes only generates a progression of no step being taking at all. Darkness and silence work in conjunction to swallow her sanity and deliver her into the brink of self destruction. The thundering slam of wood destroys the silence that she's grown accustomed to, but she is unable to pinpoint exactly where it originated from. A faint light shimmers on the surface beneath her. Curiosity builds in her very soul, causing her to turn around and bear witness to the object emanating something other than the darkness that entraps her. Hey eyes widen in surprise as the image of herself stands before her.

"Who are you?" she asks, examining the figure closely. She finds that the figure is an exact duplicate of her.

"I'm you," the other Yukariko answers, giving her the warmest smile that she can.

"Where is this place?" she inquires, gyrating herself to take in the site as a whole, but finding that the darkness engulfs everything except for the light in front of her.

"This is our mind."

"So... this is all a dream?"

"In a sense, yes, this is a dream. We're here because we have some topic that is weighing heavily upon us. I'm sure you know what that is."

"There is nothing that weighs heavily upon me."

"If that were the case, why would you ask yourself the same question about an action so many times?" the image before her asks, shaking her head, "No silly, I mean with putting your sister in this dark room."

"What are you talking about?" she asks with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"You know exactly what," the glowing replica says, snapping her fingers.

The dark on the right side of Yukariko's body fades for just enough time for her to examine the contents of the area. She sees subterranean room full of wood, rock, stairs leading upwards, and something else she can't quite make out.

"Do that again," Yukariko demands of herself, curious.

"If we insist."

Once again the snapping of her two fingers sends a flare of light into the darkness beside her, slaying the ever-prevalent darkness. A lethal pressure builds up in her chest as an image of a girl with black hair, wearing a school uniform, appears. She is barely breathing, her body being ravaged by hunger and fatigue.

"What the hell was that?" she asks.

"We know what that is."

"I don't appreciate your hocus pocus."

"We can call it what we want," the duplicate says, shaking her head once more, "However, it's only what we know deep down. We've let fear and doubts infiltrate us, and so now she has to air in the situation."

The woman takes a sterner tone with Yukariko. "Are we okay with condemning our sister to die in this dark and lonely place?"

"She won't die, the god will spirit her away!" Yukariko answers firmly.

Laughter destroys the young woman's eardrum as the dream version of herself slaps her knee.

"We're funny. We call the lighting hocus pocus, but have the expectations that a god will spirit her away. We must be unique. It seems as though we haven't thought this through very well. Let's say, for example, that there is no mountain god that will spirit away our 'precious' sister. What will happen to her then?"

Yukariko doesn't give herself an answer.

"Let's say that there is a mountain god that needs appeasing, and he or she or it _does_ spirit our sister away. What would happen to her at that point?"

Yukariko doesn't answer that question.

"Next question. Did you just help adult men of our village attack, injure, and bury alive our 'most important thing'?

"You know the answer to that," she says, shifting her glance to the darkness below.

"The question needs an answer."

"Of course," Yukariko spits with a hint of venom.

"Yes, and these same men are the ones that we are willing to forfeit our sister's life for?"

"It's for the sake of the village!"

"We're willing to throw away her life for something that we ourselves cannot prove will work?"

Yukariko offers no answer.

"There are fates far worse than death," a familiar voice slices into her ear before the light of the other Yukariko disappears.

"I'm really going to die down here," Yuuko's voice fades into the darkness.

Yukariko's eyes bolt open as the warm comfort of her bed hosts supports her. Perspiration adorns her head as her erratic breathing begins to settle minutes after awakening.

"Mother…"

* * *

It's been four days since the ritual had been completed; however, three of the members involved had fallen ill and died. Yukariko stands within the room with the boarded up entrance. Her heart wrenches as the thought of how many people have died in the past couple of days. She turns around to leave when she notices a white comb with familiar designs on it. Her knees take on her weight as her finger nails slide under the object, hoisting it up.

"What's this doing here?" she asks herself, examining the object.

"There are fates worse than death."

An image of Yuuko's face flashes inside of her mind, causing her body to jolt back to the barricade she just left. Pain shoots through her hands and splinters inject themselves in her white skin; however, the pain is nothing compared to the various fingernails that are pulled from their homes as she tears away at each piece of door. Throwing back the two handles holding her sister's prison closed, the echoes of her feet beating against the stairs as she moves likes a madwoman causes no yellow flags to be put in her mind. The odor at the bottom of the stairs brings back memories of being near a septic tank from a class trip, but Yukariko just places her hands over her nose and pushes into the darkness. The silhouettes of cans, rocks, and boards can be made out, but those images are discarded, for those are not the reasons this girl is in this dark place. An object bigger than them rests in the furthest corner of the room, and has Yukariko's attention. As her footsteps get closer to it, her heart and stomach both feel as though they are being mangled by some unknown torturer in the shadow.

"No, no, no… Please don't be dead…"

She takes in the sight of the girl's cracked lips, tangled hair, and closed eyes. She stares at the completely broken bone on her leg, the bloodied and injure finger nails much like her own. The smell of ammonia and bile is all around her, but she powers through the smell. Placing her fingers up against the girl's wrist she can feel nothing.

"YUUKO!" rings thought the lower level of the stairs, entering and exiting Yukariko's ears. Her hands grasp Yuuko's cold and pale face as they lightly jostle her head, still excitedly trying to get a response.

"PLEASE SISTER, DON'T DIE! I'M SORRY FOR BEING A DUMBASS!" she shouts desperately, "I'LL BE YOUR SLAVE… I'LL LET YOU BE THE FIRST ASTRONAUT TO THE MOON… I'LL NEVER DISTRUST YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM AGAIN! JUST… PLEASE… DON'T... LEAVE… ME... ALONE!"

She whimpers slightly, letting the girl's head rest back into its natural position. Yukariko's grip on her uniform beings to loosen as her head slips down to Yuuko's uninjured leg. Steaming tears run onto the injured girl's uniform as her 'savior's' hopes are dashed.

"I KILLED MY SISTER!" she shouts as her body temperature begins to rise, "I DON'T DESERVE TO…"

At that moment, however, she feels a faint motion on her arm. Looking up, she can see the faint whites of her darling Yuuko's eyes staring down at her, even though her bangs hides parts of them from her vision. Like a raging wave, the building emotion drains from her and a new emotion is injected into her being. Regardless of what emotion it may be, the tears continue to flow heavily. Though it took more effort than it should have, Yuuko dawns a smile at the woman who was her judge and executioner.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Lost Soul

The enveloping lights of the Emergency Area saturate Yukariko's eyes as she and the medical crew push further into the hospital. The white lighting blends with the white walls to give off the impression of an ethereal dream. Hot tears stream down Yukariko's face as the paramedics go through the first set of double doors. Suddenly men and women in white lab coats converge on their position almost as if they were camouflaged along the walls.

"What do you we have here," the tallest female physician asks placing the light latex gloves on her hands while looking down at her next patient dependent.

"Fifteen, female, no known allergies, no known allergic reaction to any medicines, she's severely dehydrated, has a broken leg, went unconscious two minutes before getting here, blood pressure is low, two broken ribs, and she may have a concussion," one of the members read from the chart.

"What the hell happened here, did they leave her in a basement?"

"That is where we found her."

The words describing her sister's condition hit her like bricks. She thought she knew an acceptable amount about first aid, but didn't realize there was so much damage that had been inflicted upon Yuuko's body. Her hand tries to stop the radiation of guilt as it courses her body, but it fails. As the next set out of double doors ram against the wall they are hinged to, the medical team's speech seems to fade off into the distance.

_I'm so stupid, _Yukariko thinks to herself before her knees impact against the building's floor prompting her hot stream to become raging rivers.

"Get her out of here," the head physician orders as the gurney bullies its way through another set of double doors that read ER.

Warm hands encase the girl's shoulder as they assist her in getting off of the hospital floor. Rounding the corner the man leads her to the main hallway, and suggests she take a seat. She lowers herself to the bench in the waiting area. He gives her a quick bow and disappears behind the corner from whence the two had just come.

It felt like hours before anyone came back to that waiting area of the hospital, but the silence was destroyed when a medium sized man erupted into the room.

"YUKARIKO!" he shouts running to her and embracing her.

"FATHER!" she shouts back taking his embrace and everything that came with it.

"What happened to Yuuko," the father asks in concern.

Tears start to fall down the young woman's face as her emotions run wild. Her monstrous grip immobilizes him from escaping her shirt, drenching cry. His coarse hands force down her black hair as he comforts her. After what seemed like mere moments, her grip finally loosened giving him the chance to maneuver her over to the seats and sitting her down. His body disappears around the corner of the hall and returns with items in his hand. The snapping of plastic fills the air before hearing the sound of a pop. Taking the outstretched item, she places it up to her lips and enjoys the cool and soft taste of the water as it funneled its way down her throat. Her father could saw the relief that was on her face as she filled herself with the contents of the bottle.

"Yukariko, where did you find your sister?"

Her fingers cross each other as she withholds the information from him as long as she could.

"She was in the school building."

"Why was…"

"Are you Yuuko Kanoe's guardian," The head physician asks interrupting the man's interrogation.

"Yes."

The female physician scratches her head and gives the man a stern look.

"I'll start by giving you the bad news first. Yuuko has three broken ribs, a mild concussion, serious dehydration, a rash from the constant exposure to feces and urine against her skin and her left leg is fractured beyond belief. The good news is that we do have her stable. If you want to visit her she'll be in room 1521, however; she may not be awake any time soon. "

"Thank you."

"You two should get a good night's rest," she says walking down the hall.

Tears threaten to take over the man's face as the water from within builds it was up his sockets. Yukariko almost jumps out of skin as her dad sets his focus on her.

"Why was she as the school," he asks still holding back tears.

"Because…because of me.

"What?"

"I was….Akahito."

"Are you fucking serious!" he shouts turning red in the face.

Yukariko nods her head.

"I fucking told you not to listen to those people," he says walking to the other side of the room and placing his hands on the wall. "Now you've almost gotten you sister killed over some stupid superstition? Did you know where she was the whole time?"

She nods her head.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry for what I did," Yukariko answers staring down at the floor.

Red is all the man can see as he advances towards his daughter point his finger at her face.

"Stay out of your sister's room. Do you hear me?"

"Yes."

The dad walks off leaving Yukariko to digest everything that had just transpired and ponder on her actions.

* * *

The next five days arrive and depart with dark clouds and the inclusion of rain. The evening halls are busy with the traffic of incoming and outgoing patients. Having to find things to do at the hospital while not being able to see Yuuko seemed difficult to do. She places herself back on the hallway bench after wandering the hospital from top to bottom, or at least to the areas she could get to without it being restricted. The long, white blinds hid just enough from Yukariko's vision for her to not know what's going on as she constantly tries to adjust herself to get a better view. Unable to see anything worthwhile she lies down. The door to her sister's room opens, spewing out the usual doctors that attend her. As they walk down the hall, a yawn forces its way out Yukariko's mouth.

_Just another day_, she thinks to herself as she closes her eyes.

Not long after the young woman drifts off to dream land, a man carrying a badge on his jacket emerges from Yuuko's room. The male accompanied by her father stands in front of Yukariko. Placing his hand on her shoulder, light shoved are passed to wake the young woman. He body shoots right up, as she taken by surprise to find a stranger trying to take her.

"Sorry to disturb you miss, but my name is Detective Yang . I would like to ask you some questions about your sister's abduction if you don't mind."

"Okay."

"How did you find her," he says flipping to an empty page on his notepad and readying his pen.

"I found her because I knew where we locked her away."

"When you say we, who do you mean?"

"It was myself and a couple of the other village adults," she looks towards the bright ceiling as faces and names drift across her mind. It was Mr. Nishima, Mr. Matou, Mr. Juen, Mr. Takashii, and Mr. Hoshi. At least the ones that are still alive anyway.

"Well, they are all dead miss. So we can't really question them."

"Wow, I guess that only leaves me then."

"What role did you play in this, and where were you located"

"I was the one that told the others what to do, and I was off to the side while everything was happening," Her eyes now shift to the floor embarrassment.

"Funny thing is, your sister said she never saw you there."

"What?" she says in confusion. "There was a white robe and veil that I wore that should have been at the entrance to the store room."

"There was nothing like that at the scene."

"I'm not lying here!" Yukariko shouts still wondering what's going on.

"I guess we won't be getting too much here. If I have any more questions, I'll be sure to keep in contact," the man said walking off.

"I'm proud of you for telling the truth," he says headed back into his daughter's recovery room.

_What the hell._

Yukariko stares at the closing door. Not long after he reentered her room, he was leaving. Her guardian's drooping eyes and loud yawn reinforced the fact that fatigue was hammering into him well. Stopping in front of her, he does a small stretch.

"I'm going home. I need you to look after Yuuko while I'm gone."

"You told me to stay out of her room."

"I know what I told you, and I know what I'm saying now. I'm exhausted and I need a good night of sleep. So, I need you to look after Yuuko since she can't be left alone."

"Okay father."

"You have a good night. I'll see you two in the morning," he says walking down the corridor while waving.

The bench becomes lighter as Yukariko removes herself from its hard structure.

_I can do this__,_as she walks up to the door and pushes it open.

Yukariko glances in awe at the number of glaring, and rhythmic machines that's around her sister's bed side. The beeping of the monitors did little to ease the girl's state of mind as the noises seemed to add a horror element to the scene. Ripping her eyes off of the glowing number and symbols, Yukariko forces herself to look at her sister. The evening light breaks into Yuuko's room giving it a whimsical atmosphere. Her body looks peaceful as the white color has returned to her skin, her hair is looking straightened and healthy looking, and her fingers are bandaged up. Shifting her glance downward, she can see the thick cast on her leg to hold the broken bone in place. The window beckons to her as she still explores more of her room. Not wanting to upset it, she places herself within it's borders and stares out looking at the falling rain smashing against the trees and dripping below.

_Why am I still hesitating_, she thinks to herself tearing herself off of the window and forcing herself to sit down at her sister's bed side.

* * *

Yukariko stares at her sister's face and examining all the vast difference it holds now compared to when she went back for her. A lightning bolt shoots across the sky illuminating the dark environment outside. Following it a crack of thunder's shockwave blasts through the walls. As sudden as the lightning appeared, it Yuuko's eyes open staring up at her younger sister sitting across from her. Another lightning bolt flashes across the sky, causing Yukariko to become even more uncomfortable with the atmosphere.

_What should I say,_ Yukariko asks herself not wanting to agitate any bad feelings. _Just apologize. Just apologize._

"I know what I did was b…"

"Please….don't say…what I think you're about to." Yukariko is taken aback by Yuuko's sudden interruption in unison with the beeping noise of the EKG machine increasing in frequency. "Don't say you know that it was bad because YOU DON'T KNOW HOW BAD IT WAS!" Yuuko chokes out trying not to raise her voice too loud, for fear or injuring herself.

_The flickering lights in the room danced wildly as the emotions in the room soared to unexplored levels._

_"Break her legs!" someone screams._

_ The shadowy figures gaze upon her like ravenous beasts ready to devour her at any moment. Each of the men were all too excited to grab as much of her as they could. One villager presses down on her mouth causing her head to feel as though it's going to split the board beneath her in two. Hands intertwined with hers, and hard knee bones burying down on her arm elbow joint. She could feel the sly touch of the men's lecherous hands on the side of her breast as they spread her upper body on the floor. There was no escape from the rough feeling of their hands and knees crushing her pelvis and legs while each one of her assailants stares ravenously into her trembling eyes._

"I'm sor…."

"Shut up….," Yuuko adds with the amount of venom in her words increasingly steadily.

"You let those men physically destroy me."

_ Amongst the shadows Yuuko can see something big held in the air and then suddenly coming down her. The ear shattering crack of her bone and pleased expressions on their face as they threw her into that abyss stung her. The next thing she knew she could feel her side come in contact with multiple objects indented followed by the smacking sound of her head hitting hard wood._

_"You_ let those men devastate me mentally."

_Staring into the pitch black of the room, the sets of menacing eyes appear randomly in the room. Some advanced closer to her while other lingered in the furthest part of the basement. Each one whispering it's only filthy thoughts._

_"They're happy to see you gone."_

_"What a great body."_

_"No one likes a stuck up bitch."_

_"No one's going to miss you."_

"The worst part of it all…..the part that takes the cake is that in my dire situation…. the most important person to me in this life mocks and turns her back to me."

_"I thought you said I was the most important person to you!" She shouts as the woman in the robes stares down at her in the abyss._

_"I'm doing this because you are the most important person to me," she says as she removes herself from the light of the opening._

_The light from the doorway fades._

_"Please help me!" she shouts her leg burning from pain._

_"I'm sorry sister! Please help me!" she shouts again this time feeling the pain from her sides._

_"Please!" she says in a whimper not being able to scream due to the pain in her mid section._

WHAT TYPE OF SICK FUCKING LOVE DO YOU KNOW?" Yuuko shouts causing her to grasp her side. Yukariko can only sit in the room and take everything that Yuuko has to dish at her. "I loved people without condition, because we are all the same fundamentally. I protected those who may have been to "weak" to protect themselves. In my time being on this Earth, I found one person whom I could give my all for. Someone who's laugh and smile could make the worst day that I could have shine with radiance, someone who I felt loved me the same way I loved everyone else, someone who shone like a goddess when she slept, when we bathed together, when we disagreed, or cried together with me. I never distrusted you…ever," Yuuko says sniffing and tears begin to stream from her eyes.

Another bolt of lightning shoots across the sky illuminating the night.

"But now…I HATE EVERYONE! I HATE EVERYTHING! THERE'S NO ONE I CAN TRUST! I hate so much that it hurts. My heart burns, my mind burns, and my soul cries out for VENGEANCE. I almost died….and for what? So these nasty adults could get a free feel of me? So our village would be SAVED FROM THE PLAGUE? WHY WAS I TREATED LIKE GARBAGE….DISCARDED…AND LEFT TO BE FORGOTTEN IN A HOLE? TELL ME AKAHITO!"

Yukariko's guts seem to have dropped into an abyss as her sister spoke her words. Never once has she thought this person would say words so paining. The lightning and rain beat harder in the room as the despair spewing out threatens to overtake everything. Standing next to Yuuko's bed the younger sister gently takes the hurt woman's head and buries it into her chest.

"Stop it…please," she says sending a searing wave of heat down her face. "I'm sorry I betrayed you…I'm sorry I let them do THOSE THINGS TO YOU," she says holding onto her head with a bit more pressure. You didn't deserve what happened to you. With all that kindness that you've shown me, with all of the lessons that you've taught me, and with all of the love that you displayed to me I don't deserve to have such a sister as wonderful as you. I made a terrible mistake by putting my trust in village adults. YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN RIGHT WHETHER I KNEW IT OR NOT…..BUT I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU COULD BE RIGHT THIS TIME. I got scared and ended up almost murdering the one person who I love most. I'M SORRY FOR THE PAIN AND LONELINESS I CAUSED YOU," she exclaims as she cries into Yuuko's hair causing the straight and silky style of it to become destroyed. "I want to be that person you can rely on again. I want to be person that brings light to your darkest days. Just let me help you. Please sister."

"When I'm asleep… you can't stop the hands from touching me or the ear shattering crack of my bones," the thought causes her to grab her bed sheet harder."You can't drown out the voices in the darkness that assault and dehumanize me," she says as her body begins to shake more. "I'm afraid…" she says as tears run down her face again. "I'm afraid of the darkness, I'm afraid of people, I'm afraid of that village, and I'm afraid of **you**. I don't want to experience that pain ever again, the terror, that loneliness. It was too much," Yuuko's voice is in shambles at this point and the beeping of the EKG machine has gone up rapidly.

Yukariko runs her smoother fingers through the girl's hair in an attempt to calm her down. A gentle kiss is placed on her forehead as she holds the wounded woman tighter.

"I will not betray you again sister. No one will hurt you. As long as I live, you won't have to worry about being murdered again. Though I was the one who caused your pain, I will make it right. Even if you will not forgive me for what I did, I will stay by your side whether day or night. I will love you like you loved me. I owe my sister that much, especially after taking away from you as much as I have."

"I wish I could believe you," she says as a group of shadowy figures adorn the sides of her room. Their eyes stare at her with fiery vigor just waiting for their chance to taste her fear.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Home

The slits of Yukariko's eyes pry themselves open to witness the clean, white sheets of Yuuko's bedding. Her black locks dance from side to side as she shakes her head, attempting to remove the shards of the sleep mask she acquired in the past couple of hours. The rhythmic beeping of the EKG machine behind Yuuko prevents the room from being consumed by silence. Her wandering eyes traverse the outlines and indentations on the patient's bed to find her sister staring out of the window. Her arm extends upwards while she exhales deeply.

"Good morning, Yuuko."

The words uttered by her sister are received by the preoccupied Yuuko, but are incapable of making the teenager's glance break from her current focus.

"Good morning."

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Not really."

The expression on Yukariko's face softens as she places her hand on top of Yuuko's.

"The doctor said you should get as much sleep as possible."

Yuuko's facial muscles reposition to make a smile, but her eyes emanate unpleasantness.

"I'll get right on it."

Yukariko's lips form as frown as she receives her sister's sarcastic words.

"Sister, I'm worried about you."

A sigh escapes Yuuko's mouth as her sister's words cause her emotions to budge in the opposite direction. Yuuko continues to stare out of the crystal window, letting Yukariko's words dangle in the atmosphere. After realizing that Yuuko isn't going to reply, Yukariko releases her sister's hand and carries herself to the window Yuuko seems fond of. The green of the leaves wave in the wind while the grass dances on the ground like it has not a worry in the world. Yukariko's eyes jump in excitement when she sees another patient walking around one of the trees. Stepping away from the window, she arrives at her sister's bedside with her face beaming with energy.

"Let's go outside! I'm sure you'd love the fresh air!"

The feeling of something sharp stabs Yuuko in the chest area as her eyes dart away from the image of her little sister's excited expression.

_I guess some sunlight can't hurt._

The pain in Yuuko's chest increases as she focuses her eyes on her sister once more. Yukariko rushes to the corner near the door and returns with her sister's wheelchair. Parking it on the side with her good leg, she assists Yuuko in getting situated in her mobility aid. Checking her out to make sure she is comfortable, the two females exit the room. The wheels of the chair lightly squeak as the sisters bob and weave between the patients and doctors alike. Yuuko's eyes remain glued to the floor, so as to avert the gaze of the other occupiers of the hospital. Even without looking, she can feel their eyes cutting into her, undressing her to expose her wounds, making them public for everyone to acknowledge. Then the voices begin to echo in her mind.

_Isn't that her?_

_Yea, I heard she pissed and shit all over herself._

_That's disgusting. I don't see how anyone over the age of two could do that._

Yuuko could feel the tears begin to well up in her eyes as the stampede of laughter rips through her head. Her white hands grip the bottom of her hospital gown frantically while pulling her legs closer together.

"We're almost there," the healthier girl says, maneuvering around a corner and pushing through a set of double doors.

The invasive rays of the morning sun brings a smile to Yukariko's face, drying up the tears that were once about to fall. Yukariko's mouth hangs open as she soaks in the sounds of the animals chirping, the revitalizing breeze of the wind, and the fresh smell of the outdoors. Yuuko's face remains still and depressing as the two teens follow a cement path further into the garden. The wheelchair comes to a halt in front of a circular water fountain. Its base is constructed with stones, and at the center a statue of a woman holding a vase is displayed. The flow of the water, as it descends into the collection below it and causes waves to gently push outwards, mesmerizes the sisters for minutes on end. Shifting her glance over to Yuuko's, Yukariko notices that the girl's eyes and facial expression are unmoved by the natural environment they are in.

_What will it take?_

Yukariko's eyes scan the area around the fountain. Not long after, her purple eyes shimmer in the reflection of the sun. The wheelchair begins traversing yet another path. The two circle a number of trees and arrive at a patch of red flowers and a bench. Parking Yuuko next to the wooden seat, Yukariko walks over to the bed of red flowers and identifies them as roses. Kneeling down, she carefully snaps one from the earth, and then carefully places the wild flower into the girl's hair before smacking her hands together.

"You look great," she says, giving her sister a cheerful grin.

Yuuko's hand moves upward to the object in her hair.

"Be careful of the thorns."

Her words cause her hands advancement to slow down. Feeling along the flower of the plant, Yuuko removes it from her raven tresses to look at it wildly. Her facial expression bounces between that of a smile, to disappointment, to back to being neutral. The happy expression that was once on Yukariko's face has become that of a sad clown, and she places herself gracefully onto the bench next to Yuuko. Yukariko turns her head towards her older sister and observes her.

"It's been a week since you first got here."

Yukariko looks down at Yuuko's casted leg, then up to her chest, and lastly at the bandages encircling her head.

"You always have this depressed expression, and you don't appear to be interested in anything besides starting out of the window. I don't like it."

Yuuko's red eyes shift their gaze from the twirling flower to her sister's area, not looking her in the eyes.

"Pretend this flower is me from two weeks ago. Right now it looks healthy and vibrant. In a couple of days, it's going to whither because you plucked it from the ground. It's possible to save this flower, but that takes time and you have to know how."

Yuuko twirls the flower even faster.

"I'm trying my best to help."

Yuuko sits quietly for a moment before placing the flower in her lap.

"I know you are, and you should stop."

"Why?"

Yuuko motions for Yukariko to turn around and she happily obliges. Turning the rose to its side, she pricks the back of her sister's neck with it. A sharp pain shoots through her nerves, and her head involuntarily turns to her sister in confusion.

"Why did you do that?"

Yuuko's doesn't give the girl an answer, but moves her hand towards her in an attempt to stick her again. Yukariko slides away from Yuuko's reach, causing her to put the flower back in her lap.

"Just like you moved away from me that second time, my mind is doing the same thing. No matter how friendly you are, no matter how helpful you are, in my mind you're waiting to stab me in the back again. So this way, I won't be surprised when it happens."

Yukariko looks at the flower in the girl's hand before shifting her eyes to her.

"How am I supposed to get through to you, then?"

"Perhaps you will be able to one day, but you should also be ready to accept the possibility that I will never trust you again."

Yukariko's heart skips a beat after hearing her sister's words. She didn't expect those words to come from Yuuko's mouth. A ball of rage suddenly forms within her, but is quickly suppressed with a well-placed smile.

_Even if you don't trust me, I will have my sister back._

Yukariko detaches herself from the wooden bench and circles behind Yuuko's wheelchair.

"Let's head back inside, and I'll get you something to eat from the cafeteria," Yukariko says, grasping the handles.

* * *

Yukariko and her father occupy Yuuko's hospital room, both having a seat along the windowed-wall as the beeping and whizzing of the machines whip through the room. Both people sit silently while their Yuuko rests with periodic tossing and turning in her sleep. Yukariko twirls her banged, wrapped fingers, recalling the pain inflicted from pulling the boards out of the door.

_I may never trust you again._

Her mind tries to throw the thought away, but it is as if those words are coated with glue. Her eyes periodically glance over at her sister and then back to her father. Suddenly, the door to Yuuko's room opens as the doctor from her surgery comes in, not stopping to converse. Standing at the foot of the Yuuko's bed, she removes the clipboard from its container and flips through the pages. After each flip, she uses her pen and makes a quick mark before continuing. Placing the chart back in its holder, the doctor then examines all of the machines behind the young woman, finally shifting her focus to her. Her eyes move up and down Yuuko's body. Breaking her attention away from the girl, she positions herself in front of the father and motions for him to come with her outside. Yukariko watches as the two adults walk out.

"How's my daughter's condition?"

"I don't notice anything physically wrong with her healing."

"When do you think she'll be able to leave?"

"She is well enough to be discharged today, if you like."

The father's eyes light up from hearing the news.

"What do I need to sign?"

"I can have someone bring you the paperwork, but before that I want to give you some advice."

The father stares at the woman with all ears open.

"Her hallucinations should disappear after her concussion clears up. It would be smart to not let her do any heavy lifting, and keep her under strict supervision for depression."

"Understood," her father says, turning around to come back inside.

Yuuko's father emerges back into the room, taking the seat where he was previously.

"What did the doctor say?"

"She said that we can take her home today if we want," he says, giving her the short version of the conversation.

"Really!"

Yukariko's innocent squeal bounces off the walls of the room and into Yuuko's ear. Her eyes stare up at the white ceiling before dancing around her room. Moving her line of site near the door, she drops her eyesight just short of their faces. Her father leans himself forward before speaking.

"How are you feeling, Yuuko?"

She stares at him for a minute before answering.

"I'm tired."

"I've got some good news for you," he throws out, placing his hand on top of hers, "The doctor says you can go home!"

Yuuko's eyes lock onto her dad's hand, and then in Yukariko's direction at the floor. Shifting her attention back to the window, she closes her eyes.

"That's wonderful."

Yukariko stares at the side of her sister's face in confusion, tilting her head to one side.

_Is she avoiding eye contact with me?_

* * *

The front door of the house opens as Yukariko steps inside. Removing her shoes, she steps aside, giving Yuuko enough room to come in behind her. Turning the corner, she flips the light switch to illuminate the darkened insides of the living area more than the dusk's light could. The light pounding of Yuuko's crutches on the hardwood floor echoes throughout the house, her father bringing up the rear with bags full of items.

"Welcome home," Yukariko says, waving at her sister.

"I'm home."

Yuuko's eyes float around the room, examining the items on the walls, the pictures, and the furniture. Suddenly her head feels bubbly, but she stands firm with her crutches in her grasp.

"I'm really tired. I'm going to call it a night," she says, turning the corner of the living room and vanishing into the hallway.

As Yuuko disappears behind the wall, Yukariko gives her a dad a quick look. Noticing her attention, her father nods his head for her to follow. Yukariko does as she is told and swiftly trails behind her sister. Rounding the corner, she can see Yuuko's body disappear into the open room. Making her way to the door, she turns the corner and knocks on the entrance frame.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

Yuuko gives no answer as she maneuvers herself closer to the other side of the room. Yuuko's crutches bang against the table as she places herself in the accompanying chair. Thinking back at the sound of something, she moves her head towards the doorway and notices her sister standing there.

"Oh. If you want to you can," she answers, shifting her glance to the mirror located on her desk.

Yukariko walks over to the girl's position and takes her crutches into her hand. Their collision agitates her ears, but they don't' prevent her from placing them in the corner of the wall for safe keeping.

_What can I do for her,_ Yukariko asks herself as she looks at her sister.

Looking around Yuuko's room, she notices the mirror that has her sister's attention. Reaching her hand into her pocket, she feels the comb that Yuuko had given her after their mother had passed on.

_I can relax her with this._

"Would you like for me to comb you hair?"

Yuuko's eyes stare at her sister's midsection as the mirror reflects her.

"Sure."

Yukariko grips a portion of Yuuko's hair and runs the teeth of the comb through it. Lost in the complete bliss of being able to spend quality time with her sister, she repeats the action as if she is a machine. Yuuko stares deeply into the mirror, looking at her bandaged head and dancing hair. She notices Yukariko's hand move to the side of her head to grasp some of her hair. The girl quickly bends down to give her sister a friendly smile and Yuuko's eyes freeze in place as she sees her devilish purple eyes and evil grin spread across her face.

_It's not real,_ she tells herself as she can hear something bang against the floor.

Yuuko's eyes focus downwards at the comb Yukariko had been using to straighten her raven-colored hair.

_What's the most precious thing to you?_

Yuuko's voice plays in her mind randomly.

_You are, sister._

Yukariko's voice erupts inside her head.

Looking back into the mirror, she notices Yukariko's menacing face again as she repositions herself after picking up the comb. Yuuko's mind places her in the moment she entered the school building with the comb in hand. Her returning fingernails clamp down on the wood like a dog with a bone. Yuuko can feel something stirring from deep within her, and then it all hits her at once. Her breathing patterns begin to get quicker as the image of someone grabbing her by the hair surfaces into her mind. Her beautiful, red eyes begin to brim over with tears, and her chest begins to tighten as if hands were squeezing the life out of her. Vast amounts of water rush down Yuuko's body as her heart pounds like a jackhammer within her chest.

"How are you feeling, sister," Yukariko asks, taking another handful of her hair.

She continues to run the comb through various parts of Yuuko's hair before noticing that the she has yet to answer her. Looking from above her, she notices that her hand is clamping on the table hard enough to produce the sound of scratching. Rising her eyesight to the mirror, she looks in the glass and sees Yuuko gripping down ferociously on her chest. The comb that was once housed in Yukariko's hand hits the floor once again as she rushes to her sister's side.

"What's wrong, Yuuko?"

"Can't….b-breathe…chest…tigh-t," she gets out before looking at Yukariko involuntarily.

Yuuko clamps her eyes shut immediately after noticing her sister face. A whimper escapes her mouth as she places her head on the desk. Yukariko places a hand on her back in fear as the girl fidgets and frantically moves around.

"FATHER!"

Moments later, the father's body pops in around the corner to see his daughter gasping for life. He immediately drops to the floor opposite Yukariko and places a hand on her back.

"Listen to me, Yuuko. You need to take deep breaths," he says, rubbing her back.

Yuuko's body jerks even harder as she attempts to increase her breathing capacity. With each deeper breath, the girl is able to increase the number by one, which decreases the deathly hold that she feels over her heart. As her breathing begins to regulate even more, her father and Yukariko's concern begin to weaken. Father stands up, giving her a kiss on the head.

"She'll be okay. It was just a panic attack," he informs Yukariko before turning his back on his daughter.

_Where are you going, Father?_

Yukariko looks at her elder sister's face only to find pain, frustration, and fear plaguing it. Yuuko's tears form a puddle on the top of her desk as she doesn't move from her position. Her muffled cries vibrate through the wooden desk, and Yukariko stays kneeled with the feeling of uselessness during her sister's time of need.

_This is all because of me._

Breaking away from the distraught teenager, Yukariko goes to her closet and removes one of her sleeping gowns. Minutes later, her sobs seem to stop, but her body still lays slumped over the desk.

"Let's get you in bed, Yuuko."

She places her hand lightly on the girl's chest, pushing her upright. Removing the neckerchief from her school uniform, she and Yuuko position her body to where she can pull off the one-piece outfit. The uniform hits the floor with a soft thud before Yukariko moves to the table and picks up the outfit. As she brings her attention back to Yuuko's lifeless body, her stomach bubbles and twists as she looks at the battered form of her once-proud sister. Placing the sleeves of the kimono around her, Yuuko slips both arms into it with ease, but Yukariko purposely tries to avoid looking at the bandages adorning her head and ribs. She grips her sister's rope, situated on the back of her outfit, and pulls it around. A quick whimper releases from Yuuko's mouth as the object squeezes her injured ribs.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Yukariko redoes the string and backs away from the girl to admire how she looks in her night attire. Yuuko's helper returns to the opposite side of the room and sets up the futon for her sister. Returning to her side, she helps the injured girl get up and places her on the futon with no issues.

"Wait just one minute, and I'll be right back," Yukariko says before exiting the room hastily.

Yuuko lays on her futon, staring up for a couple of minutes before her sister returns. She is no longer dressed in her usual clothes, but in her night attire, with a pillow in her hand. Yukariko flips the light switch, which immediate causes Yuuko to cringe as the shadows on the wall circle around her, causing her to shut her eyes. Yukariko places her pillow beside Yuuko's head and gets under the covers. Yuuko forcefully thrusts her head into the girl's chest, almost knocking the wind out of her.

_She hates my guts, but she needs whatever comfort I can possible give her just to get through the night,_ she thinks, running her hand through Yuuko's hair.

_I hate myself_, both women think in unison as tears flow from their eyes, staining one another.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Skeletons

The patter of feet travels through the never-ending sea of darkness. Yukariko's fingers rub her eyes in an attempt to get them to focus on her surrounding even more, but her sight remains darkened. Her hidden fingers assault her scalp while perplexity and uncertainty dance alongside her.

_What is it this time_, she thinks to herself as the sound of light laughter encircles her.

Moments after the laughter begins, the sound of footsteps erupts into the air and partners with it. Yukariko's eyes continue to sweep the area in vain as the laughter gets louder. Suddenly, silence fills the space, and the sound of the feet vanishes in the darkness from whence it came. Her heart beat increases due to the sudden silence that surrounds her, but almost leaps out of her chest when she feels something collide into to her stomach. Its form digs into her body, wrapping itself around her lower half.

"It's nice to meet you again."

Yukariko's focus dances around the empty space as the distorted voice travels around her. The entity grips her index finger and pulls her forward. While the two move towards an unknown location, a random light-source appears. With the advancement of every step, Yukariko's heart begins to relax in conjunction with a nostalgic feeling surging through her. The intensity of the illumination becomes so intense, she has to shield her eyes before piercing its threshold. When the light clears, Yukariko finds herself standing on a luscious, green hillside with the afternoon light caressing her face. Her enjoyment of the sun's warmth is soon interrupted when two girls suddenly show up. Her eyes focus on the girl with the curly hair resting against the towering tree.

"Yuuko… I can't walk anymore."

Her sister looks back at her, touching her hat with one finger. Her dress flutters in the wind as she refuses to make eye contact with her.

"I told you not to follow me, Yukariko."

Yukariko's cheeks swell like a puffer fish upon hearing Yuuko's non-caring words. Casting her sight back at her sister, Yukariko notices she's on the move yet again.

"Wait up…" Her speech is interrupted as her footing slides away from her, causing her to fall back.

The child's heart jumps as her body clears the side of the hill. Her body rolls, trampling the unsuspecting plant life. At random intervals, a sharp pain pulsates through her body as it crosses paths with briars and twigs. The child's body comes to an abrupt halt as she collides with the flat earth. Yukariko's body writhes from the stings and her head feels as though it is going to split. Her hand slowly moves through the vegetation besides her, only to be met with the feeling of razors. Looking at the area, she notices the amount of briars encasing her body which brings tears to her eyes.

_I'm scared…_

Her tears stream down her bloodied face while the hands of fear begin to entangle her like the vegetation.

"YUKA….RI….KO!"

The young girl looks up and sees her sister, barreling towards her through the thorns. Every step she takes accompanies something jabbing and clawing at her skin, but Yuuko's perseverance never falters.

"Are… you… alright?"

The image of her sister getting closer to her location with no disregard for her own body causes relieved smile to appear on her face.

"My head hurts, and I can't move."

Within the time frame, her sister had broken through the torturous plant field and is now standing over her sister's body.

"Give… me another… second..."

Blood races down the girl's arms and onto her dress as her breath escape her quickly, breaking through the last set of thorns. Her knees hit the ground and instantly her arms go around her sister. Yukariko's vision is filled with Yuuko's black hair, but the hot feeling of something hitting her face alarms her.

_She's… crying?_

A strong gust of wind sweeps the images of the sister's away, replacing them with images of two present day Yukariko's standing at the spot. A soothing feeling comes over both women's faces as the wind continues to blow at them.

"I remember this."

"You should. This was the first time you ever saw Yuuko shed tears for anything."

"I think this was the moment that changed everything."

"More than you realize."

The two women are carried away by the wind and reappear at the Kanoe house, with Yuuko standing the bedroom and her sister under a futon. Her father opens the door to the room, revealing her mother in the hallway.

"Don't you think we should punish her?"

"I'm sure seeing her sister almost die in front her is punishment enough," he says, his voice carrying down the hall.

Yuuko stands frozen at the words that had just left her father's mouth. Her body slowly sinks to the floor; tears strings the girl's eyes. Yukariko walks over to the sobbing Yuuko and places a hand on her short-cut hair.

"She's so heartbroken."

The scene suddenly goes pitch black and lightens back up with her now in the basement of the school. Her eyes look in shock as her hand supports Yuuko's dried skin and tangled hair. Her pupils are frozen in the zombie-like stare of her sister's face.

"Weren't you?" the other Yukariko says, moving closer to the shocked version of herself. "Hideous... isn't she?"

* * *

Yukariko jolts up on her futon with sweat running down her face. Her hand covers her forehead, wiping the sweat off her white skin.

"Is something wrong?"

Yukariko glances down at the woman besides her, eyes barely open from her forced awakening. Placing her hand on the top of her head, she strokes the woman's hair before opening her mouth.

"I'm okay. It was just a weird dream."

Yuuko's arms extend outwards from under their bindings. Yukariko's initial reaction is to go into those open arms; however, a prodding feeling urges her to resist. The startled woman shakes her head, declining her sister's offer of comfort. In response, Yuuko's arms disappear into the darkness of the futon before her eyes close once again. Yukariko focuses in on Yuuko's unconscious form even harder as her body seems to want to pull away from her.

_What's this feeling?_

* * *

Yukariko shuts the door to the house with her school bag in hand. Turning to face the new day, her feet traverses the rocky path. Making it halfway up to her destination she stumbles upon three men standing outside of their homes with masks on. The tallest of the three men throws down a rotted planted with a tear falling from his eye.

"The crops are doing terrible."

The other two men learn against the side of the building, staring blankly at the overcast sky.

"At least your kids don't have that disease," they both say in unison.

The two men turn around to notice the raven-haired Kanoe walking up the street. Yukariko can see the man make a quick advance towards her, but a well-placed hand restrains him.

"Damn that family. I hope they all perish, like everyone has."

Yukariko disregards the man's comment and continues traveling to her destination. While getting close to the school, the increase of adults in the area causes the hairs on her body to stand up. The villagers' eyes squint maliciously at her, and their forms contort in entities more ghostly than human which causes her pace to increase. Reaching the final hill, she blends in with the other children reaching the area and prepares for her next revelation.

* * *

"This village was founded roughly three hundred years ago…"

The children's eyes wonder around the room in boredom as their teacher covers the history of the village. A number of children run their fingers along the side of their pencils, while others have their feet bounce in anticipation for the lesson and the school day to end. Yukariko's eyes peer out of the clear window adjacent to her, revealing the next classroom across the school yard. Suddenly, she sees a drop of moisture stick to the window.

_Rain…_

During the teacher's lecture, he notices the rapid tapping of feet and the less-than-interested stares of the kids. Concluding that it wouldn't be a productive lecture, he closes the book and stares at his class.

"Since everyone appears to be uninterested in today's lesson on the well-known parts of this village's history, let us go to a different topic."

A number of students jump as a minuet roar of thunder enters into the classroom. The falling rain paints the windows more by the second.

"Who can tell me what a human sacrifice is?"

The atmosphere within the room abruptly shifts as it becomes darker. Yukariko's rips her eyes away from the window pane upon hearing the question. Alongside her immediate focus, the other students' focuses are undivided. A girl in the front of the class raises her hand and is called on to answer the question.

"It is someone that is killed in a certain ritual... usually to appease a god."

"That is correct."

The teacher moves away from behind his desk and to the window, taking the class's attention with him.

"Japan has had multiple cases of this, dating back to ancient times."

Another child raises their hand, and is acknowledged.

"Did people volunteer for that?"

Repositioning himself on by the window pane, the instructor prepares his answer.

"Yes. In many cultures it was considered an honor. In other cases, they were forced to participate."

The class goes silent again, and the teacher takes this as a sign to continue.

"Up until about a century and a half ago, human sacrifices were pretty standard in Japan. Only recently were they found to be inhumane, and that was when the government started to outlaw them."

Another student raises their hand, and is acknowledged.

"How often did it happen…"

The child's thought is interrupted as another teacher comes in, pulling the main teacher away. The door closes as the two men walk off. The silence in the room lingers as the sound of rain beats down on the room. The children converse amongst themselves upon the topic they were just discussing. Suddenly, someone yells out, causing everyone'd attention to shift to the back of the room at Yukariko.

"My parents said the Kanoes used to do that!"

Yukariko's vision begins to corrupt the image of the children. Their forms twisting and turning like jelly monster, with their eyes locked onto her.

"My parents tried to keep quiet about it when I was around."

"Is it true, Kanoe?" another girl's voice asks.

Yukariko's mind is racked by the constant questions that are being asked. Each child seems to be dancing around her, waiting to devour the information she knows as they adorn devilish grins.

"Did they cut their heads off? Did they drown them?"

_This isn't something to be excited about._

"I hear buying people alive was popular."

Yukariko's mind tries to fight off the intrusive memories of that time.

"Wouldn't you need to break something so they can't get away?"

_The sickening crack of something shattering bone cuts through her head as a scream fades in the background._

"You would probably wish you were dead after a day or two."

"Come to think of it, where would they go to the bathroom?"

"On themselves, I guess."

_Yukariko bends down to examine her sister's shattered body and the smell of ammonia, feces, and bile infiltrates Yukariko's nostrils._

"Gross," a group says, bursting in laughter.

"Could you imagine finding someone like that? I don't think I'd be able to hold myself back. I know it would be mean, but I would just have to laugh."

_An image of multiple people appearing behind her while she checks on Yuuko makes her break her attention. She can see their inhuman bodies and eyes stare over the girl's shoulder before they begin laughing loudly at the dying girl in the corner._

Yukariko's chair screeches across the floor. Her hands smash against the desk, her fiery purple eyes staring into the room of demons around her.

"What the hell would be so funny about that!"

The chatter in the room has gone from constant to almost non-existent. Everyone looks on as the girl's body begins to tremble.

"You think it's interesting to watch someone waste away in front of you? To see them be too weak and fragile to move? You people are just as nasty as my murderous ancestors."

Tears began streaming down the girl's face as she grabs her bag and leaves the room, with nothing but silence behind her.

* * *

The rain soaks the young woman to the bone as she walks down the wet, abandoned village-street. The thunder's roar overhead reverberates through Yukariko's body, but doesn't cause her pace to change. A lightning bolt shoots overhead, resulting in an image of Yuuko standing in her mind. She quickly throws the picture out of her head.

_Are you willing to throw her life away?_

She keeps walking along the rain-soaked street, ignoring the voice in her head and blocking the images from getting back into her mind. The fall of the rain gets even heavier than before.

_Are you willing to throw her life away?_

Yukariko's pace quickens as the image of Yuuko with her throat cut crosses her mind, blood pouring onto her hands.

_You want to see her be violated?_

Yukariko breaks out into a sprint now, the intrusive words beginning to scare her. Her sister lay crumpled on the floor in her mind, naked and covered in blood and bruises.

_The gods find pleasure in violating a woman._

The door to the house slams against the wall as see both opens and closes it. Her shoes and bag hit the hallway floor with a heavy thud, her school clothes heavily dripping onto the floor. Passing by the living room, she sees that Yuuko is present but doesn't make eye contact. Yukariko darts to her room, closing the door tightly behind her.

_No greeting? I wonder what's wrong._

Yuuko grabs her crutch and leaves the living area. She advances her way to her sister's door, and gives it a firm knock. After waiting for a few moments, she doesn't receive any answer from the room's owner.

"Yukariko? Do you mind if I come in?"

The atmosphere is filled with only silence. She places her hand on the handle of the door, but before she slides it open it opens on its own. Yukariko stands before Yuuko, wearing her night clothes.

"I'm really tired Yuuko. Do you mind coming back after I take a nap?"

"Sure," she says, walking away from the door and trying not to pay attention to the pink in her eyes.

_Why is she crying?_

Yukariko goes back to her futon and slides under the covers with her shivering body.

_These thoughts…_

* * *

Yukariko finds herself sitting in the bath by herself as the glow of the night's moon bleeds through the opening in the ceiling. Suddenly, another image of her appears by the door. Her voice becomes drier as she is able to identify the intruder.

"It's you again."

The other Yukariko slowly makes her way over to the woman in the tub, her eyes never removing its focus. Her expression dawns one of annoyance and frustration.

"Who else would it be?" The other being says, standing beside her.

"Why do you want from me?"

The being takes a seat next to her on the rim of the bath.

"Come with me," she says, holding her hand out.

Yukariko hesitates before taking the girl's hand. Water erupts from the tub and engulfs the two. The next moment she comes to, she's standing in a dark room and staring blankly at a wall.

"What is this?"

An image of Yukariko staring at Yuuko through the mirror as she talks to her appears in front of her. She notices that her eyes seem maliciously focused on her sister's face.

"Do you remember this?"

Yukariko stares at the scene a bit longer before answering.

"Yes. It was when father was heading to some gathering. We were getting ready for sc…."

_Someone should bash her face in._

Yukariko grabs her head as a sharp pain rips through it. He body begins to tremble uncontrollably through the dull pain. The scene fades, while another takes center stage.

"Do you remember this?"

Yukariko's purple eyes focus on her sister holding on to her in comfort as they smile at each other. Once again, her eyes look her sister's with a hint of malice as her features press against hers.

"Why do I look like that?"

_I don't need a whore like you looking after me._

"Who is saying that?" she asks, clutching her stomach.

A nauseous feeling enter its way into her stomach. She drops to her knees as the previous scene goes away and the third one appears again. Her eyes don't want to look up to see what the next event is.

"You should stop making this more difficult for yourself."

"Screw you."

The second Yukariko takes a seat next to the crouching girl, placing a hand on her head.

"I'm showing you this because you need it."

"I don't need your fabrications," she spits quickly.

The second Yukariko shakes her head in disbelief.

"Fabrication? These are no fabrications. You are just too ignorant and unwilling to accept the facts."

Yuuko and Yukariko stand before a growing fire within a kitchen. The fire is beginning to quickly spread from the table to the floor, threatening to engulf their childish bodies.

"I barely remember this."

She stares onward as her father enters the room and assists in putting the blaze out. After the fire is destroyed, his attention turns toward the two children. His eyes zero in on both girls.

"Who did this?"

Both children look away from the man's fuming eyes before one speaks up.

"I didn't mean to do it. It was an accident…" Yuuko voice hits the man's ear.

Her speech is interrupted by her father quickly snatching the girl's arm and hauling her off to another section of the house, while their mother comes and gives her a hug. Minutes later, Yuuko returns to the kitchen with tears in her eyes. She walks up to her sister and gives her a soft hug.

"Be careful next time Yukariko," she whispers, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.

Yukariko stands still, looking at her sister's friendly smile, and tears begin to roll down her face.

_Is she retarded? I clearly did that, and she just took the blame for it. No one can be this nice._

The final scene disappears, leaving the two Yukariko's staring into each other's eyes.

"Do you see it now? This needs to be resolved before it gets any worse."

Yukariko shakes her head.

"You're twisting my memories."

The second Yukariko puffs her mouth at her before placing her hand on top of her head.

"You're leaving me with very little choice," she says, snapping her fingers.

The bottom of the floor disappears and they go into a freefall. Out of thin air, the space around her begins to fill with images of her and Yuuko and various other people and locations.

* * *

Yukariko's body shudders as sweat pours from her pores. Her arm lies over her flat chest, desperately grasping for the sheets. By the passing minutes, her moans get louder resulting in a knock on her door.

"Are you okay, Yukariko?"

The silence that she receives causes her heartbeat to increase.

"I'm coming in."

She pushes the door open and looks over at her sister's resting place. As she moves closer, Yuuko notices the pale shading of her skin, along with her sweaty hands, and constant movement. Yuuko turns her head to find her school clothes lying on the floor in a wet puddle.

"You've gone and gotten yourself sick."

Yuuko quickly limps out of the girl's room, shortly returning with a cool washcloth to place on her sister's head. She carefully places herself in a position next to Yukariko's head. Placing the cool linen on her forehead, she runs her hand through her black hair. Yukariko's movement becomes more erratic until her eyes finally open. She stares up at the ceiling until she realizes someone is there. Repositioning her eyes, she is met with Yuuko's welcoming smile. With all of her strength, Yukariko shoves the older woman's body from her which draws a look of confusion on Yuuko's face as her sister scrambles to straighten her posture.

"Get away from me, Yuuko."

_I'm sure she's just confused._

Yuuko continues to smile at the girl, extending the wet linen to her.

"You're sick. Lie back down and…"

Her sentence is interrupted with the sting of Yukariko's hand assaulting her.

"Get away from me," she repeats, this time with a more venom in her voice.

Yuuko notices her sister's eyes begin to redden and her body trembling. Disregarding her statement again, she moves the wet cloth towards her, but is slapped once again.

"I swear if you put your hand over here one more time I'm going to hit you."

"If that will make you feel better," she says, extending her hand once again.

The cloth almost touches the girl's face, but then she slaps her sister's hand and then goes for her face. Yuuko grabs her approaching arm and jerks the weakened Yukariko back down on her futon. She wrestles her onto her back while struggling to free herself from her Yuuko's grip.

"Yukariko, you need to calm down. You're just making yourself worse."

Her words fall on deaf ears as her sister continues to struggle even harder. One of her hands finally breaks free of Yuuko's grip and strikes Yuuko in the face, causing her to retreat for a moment to care for injured nose. Yukariko sits herself up once again, breathing heavily from her mouth due to congestion.

_Did I really just strike her?_

The throbbing of Yuuko's nose takes over her mind as she applies pressure on it. The warm rush of blood coming out of her nostril stains her face and hand. Taking the cloth she brought in, she places it to her nose and puts her attention on Yukariko.

"What's wrong with you?"

Yukariko stares at Yuuko with sadness, vigor, confusion, and hate in her eyes.

"You're what's wrong with me."

Yuuko relieves a little of the pressure from her nose before speaking again.

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you have to be my sister?"

Yuuko quickly refolds the blood covered washcloth while giving her a confused stare.

"Did I do something to you?"

Yukariko sits in silence, but Yuuko can see the anguish on her face. Something deep inside was clearly eating away at the girl.

"Tell me what I did."

"How do you tell someone that they are blessing and a bane to your existence? Do you know how it feels for me to idolize you and realize I'll never be as good as you in any area?"

"You're just as good as me in a lot of activities."

"Don't lie to me, Yuuko. You're taller than me, prettier; you're more sexually appealing, more intelligent, more athletic, more courageous… should I keep going?"

"Yukariko... you're just as pretty as I am; you're just as intelligent and athletic, as well."

Yukariko's nails digs into the floor at her sister's words.

"You just keep lying. I know I shouldn't be jealous of my sister, but you burn me up inside. Every time you accomplished something I think you're fantastic, and at the same time I hate you even more."

Yuuko's eyes divert away from Yukariko.

"I've wished unspeakable misfortune on you. What loving sister would do something like that?"

The dull pain in her chest begins to form as she looks at sister's crying face, but also hearing her hateful words.

"I can't answer that," she says with a brief pause.

"The day I fell down that hill I felt that you were a fraud, but every time you were put in a situation for me to be proved right, you shone through like a goddess. Every time it happened I felt disgusted at myself. It only made me feel wicked hoping you would fail, and you still loved me unconditionally. That's what hurts the most."

The room goes quiet. Yuuko didn't know what to say at this point. This whole ordeal felt like a bad dream. She could literally feel her anger about to overwhelm her, but it wouldn't boil over.

"Is that all you have to say? If so, I want to tell you a story."

Yukariko nods her head at the girl which signals Yuuko to change the position of the washcloth yet again.

"There once was a girl that lived not too far from here, who cared about nothing but herself. She had beauty and intelligence, but she was always missing something. Whenever she looked in the mirror, no matter how often she changed her expression or her appearance, always the mirror reflected how ugly she was at her core. In addition, even though she had a lot of friends, she always felt alone. One day, while in her arrogance, her sister had an accident and was hurt badly. During this time, she came to realize that the ugliness and loneliness had eaten away so much of her soul that she was beyond repair. Determined to do at least one thing for someone else before her time was up, she cared for her sister while she was recovering. In the process, something in her changed. Whenever she looked in the mirror, that hideous image eventually faded, but in addition she never felt lonely anymore."

Yukariko looks at the woman's form and wipes away a tear.

"Were you really going to kill yourself?"

"That was a story I remember being told," she says, picking herself up off of the floor.

The sound of her crutches knocks against the floor as it passes by Yukariko.

"Do you hate me for what I said?"

"I don't hate you, but I am hurt. You shouldn't wish ill upon people, so don't let me hear you say that again."

"I felt terrible saying those things."

Yuuko begins to leave the room once again, but Yukariko stands up and stops here.

"Why don't you separate from me? I'm obviously toxic."

"As your big sister, I'm here to make sure you're guided in the right direction. If I could give you my height, my hair, my athletic abilities, my sex appeal I would, but I can't. I can only be your shield, your best friend, and teacher."

Yukariko circles in front of her sister and gives her a light embrace. Yuuko runs her hand through her sister's curly hair.

"I love you, sister."

"You may think you have to rely on me, but I am more dependent on you then you'll ever know." Yuuko nuzzles and rubs Yukariko's head with her cheek.

"If it wasn't for you, I'm sure I would have parted this world long ago," she continues in an almost non-audible voice.

_I mean more to her than I thought._

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. Marked Woman

The morning light reflects off of Yuuko's mirror as she gazes at herself in her bra and panties. Her hands run through her long, black hair that's now free of its bandages. Her eyesight ventures south, past her ample chest, to reveal her once-bruised ribs retaining their natural color. Yuuko's investigation yields negative feelings as she stares at the darkened scar on the frontal area of her leg. However, the feelings are short lived, and soon a smile is plastered on her face.

_It could have been worse._

With perfect timing, an audible sentence infiltrates her room, drawing her attention away from herself.

"Let's not do this, Father," a voice echoes through Yuuko's door.

Yuuko retrieves her kimono from the desk and slides it on. Opening the door to her room, she ventures out into the hallway to find that the source of the disturbance has settled down.

_I wonder what they are talking about, _she thinks to herself as she clears the corner to the living area.

She stops next to the couch after finding her father and Yukariko locked in a serious discussion. Yuuko's arrival causes both members to jump, before taking their eyes off of each other and focusing on Yuuko.

"Good morning, Yuuko," they say in unison.

She advances towards her family and gives them both a warm reception.

"Good morning, Yukariko. Good morning, Father. What has you two worked up so early in the morning?"

They look back at each other once again, baring expressions of concern and frustration before focusing their attention on Yuuko. Yuuko's father adjusts his glasses before speaking up.

"We're concerned about your education. I think you should go back to school, but Yukariko doesn't. If you remain out for too long, you're going to fall behind in grades."

Yuuko looks at her dad's nonchalant expression compared to her sister's more concerned demeanor. Yuuko rests her body against the nearby wall while her mind digests what was just given to her.

_I have been out for a long time, but am I ready to go back to that place?_

Yukariko absorbs the deep expression that lies on her sister's face. The anxiety within Yukariko builds, and she silently prays that Yuuko won't take a chance like this.

"I wouldn't mind going back," she answers, causing Yukariko to open her eyes toward the ceiling in disappointment. "I won't be any good to anyone if I'm a dropout, right?"

Yukariko's temperature begins steadily increasing as her glance shifts from Yuuko to her dad and back to Yuuko again.

"I'm begging you to get a tutor for her."

Her father and Yuuko stare at the young woman at the mention of a tutor.

"Private tutors cost a lot of money, Yukariko. We may be better than some, but we aren't rich," he answers.

_Am I the only one thinking about your welfare, _she ponders, looking at her sister and biting her lip.

A smile forms inside of Yuuko's mind as she notices how hard her sister is trying to help her. She quickly closes the gap between herself and Yukariko, pulling her into a crushing embrace.

"I'll be fine," she says, giving her little sister a kiss on the check. "As long as I have my little Yukariko with me, right?"

Yukariko hesitates to answer the girl's question, before giving her a nice smile and nodding her head. Even with the friendly response, doubt still lurks in her heart for her sister's condition.

"I suppose I should get ready, then," Yuuko says as she removes the girl from her hold. "I'll try not to hold you up."

The younger sister watches as her sibling walks back to her room before turning her sights back to her father. Noticing her gaze upon him, he begins walking towards his room. Her soft footsteps quickly follow behind him, bringing her to the entrance of his chamber. She brings her legs to a halt at the entryway, not wanting to barge into her father's private space. Looking down the hall, she doesn't notice Yuuko coming, but she intends to keep her voice down.

"Don't let her go back there, Father."

The unyielding parent calmly takes a seat at his desk and picks up his pen before beginning to write.

"Yuuko has made her decision. If she believes she can handle it, then who am I to stop her?"

Yukariko's blood begins to boil as she hears her father answer her nonchalantly.

"You're her father, it's your responsibility to stop her from doing things that will harm her. She hasn't been out there since before that incident. She doesn't know how these people feel about her."

Her father's voice becomes sterner and he stares the girl down.

"Go to school, Yukariko. We are done on this topic."

Yukariko remains standing in the doorway, trying not cave to her father's demand.

"Do you even care about your daughter's well-being? You keep yourself distant from her, like she has a sickness or something."

The pen in the older man's possession collides with his desk as he turns toward the girl.

"If she thinks she's fine, then leave her be."

"She is not fine! Do you even realize that I still have to sleep with her four days out of the week? How is it fine when she still cries in her sleep?"

Her father gets up from his seat and stands before her in the doorway. His eyes burrow into her soul.

"Go… to… school."

Yukariko's heart races as she stares into the man's eyes, even with those words. Her feet involuntarily step away from the door before he closes it.

_You're no help at all._

* * *

Yuuko and Yukariko trek the rocky road to the academy grounds. While Yuuko feels only happiness in heart, Yukariko mind is plagued with worry that today may go badly. During every couple of footsteps, she finds herself scouring the area covertly for villagers that she feels have no friendly intentions in mind for them.

"How are you feeling, Yuuko?"

The older sister's eyes look towards the woman asking the question.

"I'm feeling well today, though my leg does hurt a bit. I don't understand why you and father were arguing over whether or not I should go to school."

The sound of their feet hitting the earth is the only answer Yuuko gets for a while as Yukariko lets the conversation run back through her head.

"I-I think it would be a good idea to ease you back into it, is all."

Yuuko notices the stammer in the first I, and eyes the young woman.

"You don't have to lie or sugar coat anything to me, Yukariko."

A slight hesitation happens between the two of them.

"The people aren't too fond of our family right now."

"Why is that?"

The school's bell interrupts the sister's conversation with its haunting sound. Arriving at the hill that connects to the entrance of the academy, the atmosphere around the women begins to descend into an evening setting. Yukariko's movements speed up as she and Yuuko close the distance to the school gate. With each new footstep, Yuuko can suddenly feel her legs getting heavier. A light stroke across her shoulders makes the girl's head jerk towards the side, but no one is near her. A couple of steps later, something grips at the back of her neck, resulting in her hunching her shoulders... but after looking behind her, no one is present. Yukariko clears the gate several steps ahead of her sister, but doesn't notice for a couple of seconds. Shifting her glance behind her, she notices that Yuuko has stopped moving and is clutching her bag for dear life.

"Yukariko…"

As her body moves towards the ominous building, Yuuko's eyes look around at the current malevolent structures, but her consciousness seems displaced from her body.

"Yukariko… please… help… me," she says, releasing the tears in her eyes as her body both moves and stand still at the same time.

"I'm right here, sister."

Yukariko's hand envelops itself around Yuuko's, only to be consumed with the cold, wet sensation of fear. She lightly pulls her to the side, as not block the gate for incoming students, and leans her against the wall. The passing students stare at the two in curiosity as they walk by, whispering to each other.

"Are you okay?"

Yuuko's black locks cover her face as her head and hand brace her against the academy wall.

_I don't think I can do this._

Yukariko's hand brushes back the curtain of hair hiding Yuuko's face, and is welcomed by her moist, frightened eyes and pale skin.

"You don't look good. We should go back home."

Yukariko places her sister's arm around her neck and begins to carry her off. Just before they leave the area, a girl's energetic voice rings out through the air.

"Oh wow… Yuuko Kanoe. It's been forever since I've seen you. All the villagers were talking about how you died from the plague!"

Yuuko's saliva volume starts to increase every second. The girl's friend pulls on her uniform.

"Stop it, Megumi."

"I just want the truth, Yuri. People keep saying that she's dead, others are talking about how she was locked in the school about to die. What better way to get the truth then firsthand, right?"

Yuuko's stomach begins to feel bloated in unison with a drastic temperature spike in her neck. She lightly pushes Yukariko away and starts spewing the contents of her stomach on the ground. The various onlookers' faces change in horror as the chunky liquid litters the ground with small splats.

"I'm so sorry for my friend's behavior."

Yuri grabs her arms and pulls the girl towards the school building. Taking her eyes away from the two women that had just left, Yukariko places her hand on Yuuko's back in hopes to soothe her current condition. Yukariko witnesses several ejections from the young woman's mouth before checking in on her again.

"Do you think you're okay to walk, or should we wait?"

"I think I can make it back. I didn't know this was going to take so much out of me."

Yukariko positions herself next to her sister as she places her arm around her. Leading her away from the wall, the two begin their journey back home, passing many onlookers. The students all try not to look at the two of them, but whisper conversations after they pass.

"Isn't that Yuuko?"

"I thought she died."

"Yeah, they wrote her name on the stone and all."

"She looks sickly. I hope she didn't bring that disease here."

The words and eyes sear into the Kanoe sisters, but they keep moving forward, not caring what anyone has to say about their relationship. As they come down the hill, they see a medium-sized group of adults heading towards the school. Their eyes burrow into the women's bodies as they step in front of them, barring their path. The shortest and most elderly of the men gazes at the two women with the impression of wanting to kill them on the spot.

"You two are an embarrassment to your family and this village."

Yukariko has to fight to keep her balance as she notices Yuuko's arms begin to quiver.

"W-we're sorry that you feel that way about us," Yuuko says, giving them a forced smile.

"You're grandfather should have taught you better than this."

Yuuko and Yukariko keep that mouths closed at the mention of their grandfather. The elderly man looks at Yuuko thoroughly before glancing over to Yukariko and doing the same.

"Let's not waste time on them; we have some place to be."

"You are correct," the group's leader agrees before motioning onwards.

Yukariko repositions her sister weight and starts to walk off when she notices Yuuko's head jerk towards her.

"Bitch," one of the members blurts while walking away from the retreating women.

"They're so rude. I can't believe they are acting like this."

Yukariko moves her eyes over to the sister and sees her hand move across her face. As her hand drops back down to her side, she catches a glimpse of liquid on her appendage.

"Did…he just spit on you?"

"Yea, but it's alright."

Yuuko looks straight ahead and tries to walk, but Yukariko holds her in place.

"What do you mean it's alright? That's disgusting and disrespectful."

"I know that," she says, cutting her off in a polite whisper. "I appreciate you wanting to stand up for me, but let's not aggravate my condition any further."

"I'm sorry. I forgot all about that."

"You're doing your best. That's all I ever want."

* * *

Standing within his spacious office, an elderly man stares out of the clear window-pane overlooking the school grounds. His attention is taken from the too familiar scenery by a repetitive rapping on his door. Leisurely crossing the room, he arrives at the source of the noise. Opening the door, he is met with the presence of an elderly man, and behind him a group of villagers. Not wanting to be rude to his guest, he gives them a respectful bow.

"Come in, gentlemen," he says, moving out of the way for the men to come in.

The group of adults enter into the office with fluidity, until the last person is within the room. Each of the occupants finds a location to place themselves before the reason for the visit is spilled. The oldest of the group of individuals decides to speak up.

"What are we going to do about this situation, Kanoe?"

_Village concerns._

"What's the state of the village?"

"It's in shambles. That curse is still lingering, though not as strongly as it did before. We are losing two-to-three people to it every week. The crops are doing terrible, and we've had the most tunnel collapses since this village has been founded. "

The morbid silence takes over the atmosphere within the room while the men ponder on the state of their beloved community.

"It's all your family's fault, Kanoe, for not sending that girl off to the mountain-god."

Elder Kanoe casts a glance in the direction of the voice before turning his back to the group. His footsteps slide across the hardwood floor to the transparent window with his hands neatly placed behind his back. Elder Kanoe's vision hones in on a group of children walking around the school yard.

_So we're at this point again._

"Does everyone in this room believe that the mountain god is upset due to this offering being freed?"

Every head in the room nods in unison at the comment.

"How is everyone here so sure that the mountain god has been angered even further?"

Silence fills the room again, as the mob converses amongst themselves. Elder Kanoe has the men mentally and verbally cursing, due to lack of evidence to prove their claim.

"I think everyone here has lost someone or someones precious to you, and I want to be clear of your intentions. Who has come here with the sole purpose of murdering this girl out of spite, envy, or any other malevolence emotion?"

Each member's head turns to figure out who was there for the purpose that was just named. The mob leader speaks up once again.

"None of us are here for the purpose of murdering this girl, elder, but if it's proof you need then let this do. Since this village has been here, our community has had four droughts, a famine, and mining issues. After our ancestors, your ancestors, sacrificed a sufficient person to the mountain god, the village rebounded excessively. So were the words that were passed down to me."

_I didn't expect anyone to know about that._

Clamor amongst the other villagers begins to pick up as the dialogue between the two men conclude, with the elder being defeated.

"The Kanoes have brought shame and destruction upon our village. As the head family, you need to take responsibility for your family's irresponsibility."

A loud roar echoes through the room as all of the members agree that this is the right course of action. Elder Kanoe takes a seat behind his desk and addresses the crowd once again.

"What are our options for handling the current situation?"

"We should quarantine off a part of the village for the sick, and gather as much of the crops as we can," the eldest of the men speaks. "We need sacrifice that girl as soon as possible before irreparable damage is done."

The individuals behind their spokesperson nod their heads in agreement.

"Let us pick an Akahito once more, and commence with the sacred duty," a random villager yells out.

The men look at each other in confusion of who the next Akahito should be for this task. Before anyone is able to throw out a name, elder Kanoe breaks interjects.

"There will be no need. It is my family's duty to perform this sacred rite, thus I will be the messenger of the mountain god. It was my family descendants who threaten the honor of this family, and it shall be I who shall restore that honor."

* * *

Yuuko's body lay on her futon, her head propped up on her sister's knee. The refreshing breeze of the hand-fan's wind, and the sparkling, evening sun, liven up the room. The state Yuuko's body was in earlier has almost disappeared, as she's now regained the color in her face and the nausea she was experiencing has long disappeared.

"I guess I'm not ready to go back to the academy."

Yukariko looks down at her sister's weakened face and just gives her a warm smile.

"You're strong. I'm sure you'll be ready next time."

"Let's hope you're right."

Yukariko's head snaps up after hearing the door to the front of the house open, causing her to place the fan on floor.

"I'll be right back."

_Who is that? Dad should be cooking right now._

Exiting Yuuko's room, she traverses the narrow corridor, wanting to see who is visiting them. She makes it to the end of the hall and turns the corner to find an unexpected surprise waiting for her.

"Grandfather! When did you return?" she asks, giving him a respectful bow.

The elderly man returns the bow given to him and answers the girl's question.

"I returned a couple of days ago. Have you been doing well?"

"I've been doing alright."

Her grandfather eyes examine the room as though he's searching for something.

"Where's your sister?"

"She's in her room, lying down."

Their dad exits from the kitchen, greeting both individuals.

"Dinner is almost ready. Yukariko, could you go and get your sister Yukariko?"

Their father turns his back to them as he heads back into the kitchen to finish meal preparations. Yukariko bows to her grandfather again as she readies herself to retrieve her sibling.

"I'll get her."

Yukariko disappears down the hallway, leaving the elderly man to himself.

_These stupid kids._

Time seems to drag on as the grandfather remains standing within the living area. His son comes back out to the living area and directs him to the dining area. Taking a seat, he notices the varying dishes lined up on top of the table. No sooner had he marveled over the food that his two granddaughters appear before him. Yuuko bows to him respectfully before she, Yukariko, and her father take their positions at the dinner table. The dinner proceeds with little interaction between the family members. The occasional asking for a condiment or seconds sparks a small conversation, but nothing that isn't squashed out in a matter of minutes. Placing his chopsticks down, the grandfather looks across the table at his family with unsympathetic eyes.

"What do you three have to say for yourselves?"

Everyone's focus shifts to the grandfather stone-cold gaze.

"Do you realize how much damage you have caused to this family's honor, hell… this village?"

Yuuko and Yukariko's eyes avert away from their grandfather's gaze. The granddad's eyes look sharply at Yukariko, and his tone is cold.

"Why didn't you let you Yuuko die? You put her there, didn't you? Did you not know that picking a human sacrifice entails someone's life ending?"

Yukariko and Yuuko's eyes go wide in shock. Yuuko start to grasp at her legs, as her first response is to remove herself from this conversation. Yukariko leans forward involuntarily and raises her voice.

"Please grandfather! Don't talk like that in front of her!"

"Answer my question," he says without hesitation.

In the corner of her eye, Yukariko can see that Yuuko's body is beginning to lose its composure. Her eyes remain glued to the floor, so as not to have to look at the man in the eyes. The fact that their grandfather is completely disregarding Yuuko's feelings makes the woman's blood begin to boil.

"I didn't let her die because it was a mistake that she was there in the first place!"

"Clearly, your father should have explained to you the nature of the ritual. I've told you and your sister numerous times that we have a duty to live by strict rules because of who we are. You became Akahito bearing in mind the wishes of the people here, and then you throw those hopes away by saving the sacrifice. That's a slap in face of the people who've played both roles in this ceremony."

He shifts his attention to Yuuko, who's losing the color in her skin once again.

"Why did you come back here?"

Yuuko attempts to compose herself before answering the man's question.

"This is my home."

"You weren't supposed to return, so in essence you don't have a home anymore."

Yuuko's stomach begins to churn as the man's words begin to sink into her mind, more by the second.

"Don't you think that's enough, Father?"

The elderly man shifts his attention to his son. His eyes show him no mercy.

"How did you let all of this happen? You let one of your daughter fall victim to these people, and then she almost kills the other. One of your daughters goes missing for days, and you aren't able to put two and two together?"

"How do you know all of this?"

"I'm old, not dead. There are individuals here that let me know what is going on."

Their father thinks back to the before-mentioned question, but becomes ashamed the longer it takes for him to answer.

"I… was… trying."

"You were trying to be a good parent? You brought your daughter back to the people that wanted to kill her to begin with! Why did you not use your brain?"

The grandfather shifts his attention back to his granddaughter. His uncaring words and dangerous gaze starts to make her chest tingle.

"Have you liked your new life? Hospitalized for a while, and then you were house-ridden for six more months. All this time living in ignorance."

Yuuko could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Now we have_ this_ situation. The majority of the adults want to put you in the grave, so I had to take on the role of your executioner."

Yukariko's eyes stare at the man, and then to Yuuko, who's body is trembling. She moves over to the older girl and places her arm around her in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"D-do you plan on killing your own granddaughter?" Yuuko asks, trembling in fear.

"If you are still here when we come for you, I will do what I have to."

"I-It's great to know I-I mean so much to you."

Their grandfather springs forth from him position and slams his hand on the table. Yuuko cringes and tries to hide herself with Yukariko.

"Do you think I want to play a part in murdering my own granddaughter? No, I don't. If I didn't become Akahito, they would have come and got you tonight."

"If you care so much, why don't you defend her?" Yukariko blurts out, holding onto her sister tightly.

"I have an obligation to this village and its citizens. Even if I have to correct my family mistakes, I'll do what has to be done."

Yukariko hides the girl's broken composure with her hands as her grandfather continues.

"So now you have two choices. Yukariko, you can either aide the community in apprehending your sister, or aide her in escaping. Yuuko, you can either run away, or stay here and meet whatever fate awaits you. My son, you can either protect your daughters or 'protect' this village. Keep in mind, there are no second or third chances."

Yuuko's hand scrunches down on her chest as her nails dig into her sister's arm.

"It's okay. Just breathe, Yuuko."

Their grandfather picks himself up and walks to the door.

"They will be here tomorrow evening to apprehend you, so decide what you want to do before too long. What you all need to learn is that your actions have consequences. Yuuko, I pray that we don't meet up tomorrow, but in case we do, I'm sorry for any pain you may be put through."

TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. Tears of Blood

The silence within the Kanoe household is still enough to hear a pin drop. The doubt, regret, and uncertainty left hanging in the air eats away at the peace that the inhabitants once had while Yuuko sits nestled up to Yukariko, Yukariko has her sister in a firm embrace, and their father stares off into space.

"What now," Yuuko asks not taking her eyes away from her staring at the floor.

The silence in the house remains still as everyone ponders on the events of dinner. Their father gets up from the table and makes his way to the front door. Slipping on his shoes, his hand grabs the door, however; his exit is interrupted.

"Where are you going father?"

Opening the door, the male leaves the question in the air as the door slams behind him. The two women stay cuddled amongst each other until Yuuko's condition begins to show signs of disappearing. WIth Yuuko getting herself under control, Yukariko releases her grip and takes this time to cleaning up the dining area.

_What did I do in the past that justifies being killed? First it was her, and now its grandfather. Am I the embodiment of this epidemic? Am I so different, that these people have to reject me or are they just out for my blood out of anger and spite? _

"Is there anything you want me to get while I'm up?"

Yuuko's focus snaps back into reality as the girl's question gets to her. Yuuko's eyes lock onto the back of Yukariko's head after she turns around.

"…No."

_It all started with her. She's the reason all of this is happening. _

"Could you come and help me out over here Yuuko."

The straight haired girl heeds her sister's requests and picks herself up off of the floor. Yuuko crosses into the kitchen and stands beside the young woman as she immaculately rips up the food particles found on the eating bowls and plates. Yukariko hands her a couple of dishes to put in the proper place, and working as the duo they accomplish the task easily. Taking the final dish from her sister's clutches, Yuuko places it where it belongs and shuts the compartment door.

"All done."

The wash cloth the younger sister uses brushes against the sink, before she turns around.

"Do you want to take a bath together? It's been a while since we've done that."

As the two stands face to face, under the light of the kitchen and the light the moon, Yuuko gives her sister a head nod, which causes her to walk towards her. As she passes her elder sister, the look in Yukariko's purple eyes causes her mind to wonder.

_What's the matter?_

* * *

The sisters' father raps on the wooden frame of a darkened house with powerful strikes. Moments later it, slides open revealing the person that destroyed the peace with his domicile.

"Can I come in father?"

The older man motions for his son to enter and removes himself from the doorway. Dropping his shoes at the entrance, he follows his father down the corridor and into the living area of his house.

"Shouldn't you be spending what little time you have left with your daughter?"

The elderly man offers his son a seat on the floor. Taking him up on his hospitality, he seats himself on the mat with his accompanying him. The two men glare at each other while waiting for the write words to formulate within them.

"Is there anything that can be done to stop this?"

"That is for the community to decide."

His son bows his head respectfully, and let's his emotions leak out.

"Please father! If there is anything I can do I will do it!"

"Quit your groveling."

The man holds back a sob before his father goes at him again.

"You bestowed knowledge on them, but you failed to show them affection. With their mother gone, the only ones they can cling to are each other, especially Yuuko"

"What do you mean 'especially Yuuko'?"

"Due to your reliance on science, you dulled your senses of the spiritual nature. If you hadn't you would have noticed the mangled state of your daughter's soul when she was younger."

"mangled..."

"I'm sorry for going off topic. I'm sure the girl is wondering who it is she can trust right now."

"It shouldn't be question."

"Look at the situation. A community that wants you to die for them, a grandfather whom is willing to slay you, a sister that has almost taken your life before, and a father who lacks a backbone."

"I won't let this happen."

"How far you're willing to go save this girl's life?"

"Maybe…taking her virginity will help. Could I kill someone if it came to it?"

The younger male grabs his head and scratches his scalp violently.

"What am I to do?"

"Only you know that answer."

A frantic knock on Elder Kanoe's door, makes causes the man to excuse himself from his son's presence. Leisurely strolling over to the door, he opens it and is met with the image of a fellow that had come to see him earlier.

"How may I help you?"

The man's panting clouds his ability to speak as he tries to catch his breath. Touching the side of the door frame for support, he tries again to spit out his answer.

"The sa…crifice will be apprehended shortly. The rest of the people wanted me to let you know that we will meet outside of the shrine located at the school."

"The ritual isn't to be performed until tomorrow."

The messenger wipes the sweat from his brow before continuing.

"It was a group decision that the process should be sped up, due to the severity of the situation."

The elder looks back at his son as he approaches the door and then back to the man.

_Damn them. _

* * *

Yukariko and Yuuko sit alongside each other in the relaxing water of their bath. The azure moonlight enters through the windows of the room instilling a sense of tranquility in their tumultuous hearts. Yuuko places her fingers around the outer edges of the crescent shape and rotates the object with her mind.

"Do you remember our astronaut conversation from when we were little," Yukariko asks staring at the night sky.

"Yea, you splashed water on me."

"Whatever happened to that idea?"

Yuuko turns her attention to the woman next to her, and puts her finger lightly on her sister's forehead.

"We'll have it right here," she says moving her finger down and poking the girls chest. "We also have it in here."

Her sister's touch sends a pulse from the touched spot, and it quickly circulates through her body like a wildfire. The sensations scorch her guise as it accumulates into her chest.

"Have you ever thought about what's out there? After we die I mean."

Yuuko returns her vision to the to luminescent object in the night's sky. Taking her index finger, she traces the exterior of the shape as though she is an artist.

"Maybe I'll be reincarnated into another person or thing. Perhaps I'll go to heaven, but it's more likely hell from what the Christians say. I try not to dwell on the afterlife that much. When I get there, I'll get there. Who knows, maybe there's nothing after this at all."

Yukariko's expression begins to crack a bit more as her sister's words only makes her mask disappear more. Her hand inches towards her sister's hand under the water, but halts soon after. The playful smile expressed across her older sister's face, causes the girl's hand to make a fist.

_How can you be so calm?_

Standing in the water, she places one foot onto the dry floor before giving her sister a quick glance out of the corner of her eye. Her purple eye meets with Yuuko's red pupil, causing her to quickly shift her sight onto the moonlit wall. As her feet touches the floor outside of the bath, the parting of the water in the bath occurs behind her.

"I know what you're thinking."

Yukariko's eyes begin to water as the stockpile of sensation that Yuuko sent into her cuts through her mask causing it to fall from her face.

"Then how are you okay with this."

Yuuko's eyes focus on the girl's trembling shoulders as she holds weight towel on her body.

"I'm not, but it is as grandfather said. I shouldn't have come back to begin with."

Yukariko's sadness quickly turns to anger knowing the line of thinking her sister was about to go down. It sickened her to hear her Yuuko talk like this sometimes.

"I don't have a place I can call home. To this village I'm nothing more than a ghost that needs exorcising to ease their spirits and reassure them of their future."

"Let's run away from this place…From father, grandfather, and everyone."

Yuuko steps out of the water and stands behind her sister.

"Where would we go? How would we live? Assuming that the villagers are serious, there are probably individuals watching our house right now. No matter what I do, I'm just an animal trapped in a cage."

Yukariko turns around to see her sister's body bathed in the light of the moon, her eyes softly looking at her as she bites her lower lip in frustration. Yukariko's fingers curl and uncurl while she keeps hearing her sister's negative words, and stares at the floor in her direction.

"Where is your will to live?"

"Don't misunderstand me sister. They can always reel me back in by threatening you, or harming some other poor girl in my stead. I've lived through that experience, and that's not an ordeal I would want anyone to experience."

"Then why do you have to?"

"I have to because I'm weak. I'm not strong enough to cast people into the shadows at will. I'm not strong enough to turn away and from someone that needs my help or is being done unfairly, but lets not dwell on that."

Yuuko gives her sister a happy smile, before she blows up again.

"Why are you so accepting of this?"

_Who would accept this fate?_

"Can we just drop this for now? There are more enjoyable activities we could be doing with our time."

Yukariko eyes narrow on the girl as her facial expression stays the same.

"Stop trying to act brave for my sake. If you're afraid admit it. Whenever you've spoken you've moved your injured leg, so I can see through your facade."

Yuuko's eyes hide behind her bangs as her attention is brought to her tell.

"Can we please just drop this? I don't want to spend my last night with you arguing over trivial topics like this!"

"You may think your situation trivial, but I don't!"

Yukariko grasps the handle to the bathroom door with rage induced hands and flings it open. Yuuko only watches on as her sister, storms out of the bathroom.

_In the end, we end up alienating each other even more. _

Yuuko shakes her head and moves her water soaked body towards the door.

"Yukariko! Come back," she turns the corner into the hallway and only to freeze.

Within the semi light hallway, she stares into the frightened purple eyes of her sister as her mouth is covered by a shadowy appendage. Casting her gaze behind her she notices the the man behind was someone they met earlier after leaving the school. A hand forcefully cover her mouth causing her body to tense up, muffling her surprised scream.

"Lets go," the man behind Yukariko says pushing the girl towards the living room door.

The sisters are forced through the living area and out of their house only to be met with a mob various people standing in the streets. Their sadistic eyes and bodies squirm within the darkness with excitement. The elder from before emerges from the crowd and stands before everyone. The elderly man performs a gesture to Yuuko's captor resulting in the young woman is pushed closer to the crowd and held in place once she reaches the desired spot.

"This girl is the most suitable candidate to appease the copper mountain god. Though she was offered to him once, she managed to disgrace our village and got away with the help of her sister."

Yukariko's body jumps as the group's eyes turn to her with their fangs dripping with malice.

"The mountain god has grown angrier because his offering was denied. All of you who had lost precious loved ones rejoice, that this girl is willing to offer her life and spirit to appease the god of the mountain."

Yuuko's slender frame is exposed to the elements as her towel is ripped off of her and thrown to the wayside. She tries instinctively to cover herself up from the fear and shame of letting everyone see her body, but her restraints are firmly in place and her movements are stifled.

Her body is propelled forward towards the crowd of beasts. Their saliva drips from their fangs as her she is able to cover herself partially from their predatory view. The elderly man stands in front of her and speaks in a whisper.

"You need to ask these people for forgiveness child. It is because of you and your family that this has gotten worse. Proclaim that you are here to right your previous wrongs and your sister won't have to be your substitute."

Yuuko's eyes shifts to her sister's position, and sees the terrified look on her face as the mob glares at them like pieces of meat. Her body trembles under the heavy restraint of her male captive, and tears have stained her face. The veil concealing her features is the thrown to the ground exposing her less developed body. All of a sudden the shadows began to move closer towards her before stopping. Yuuko's sadness creeps it's way into her heart along with the constricting feeling within her chest. Removing her hands from covering her body, she places them at her side. Her breathing begins to get faster as she lowers her head to the subhuman figures in front of her.

"I-I Yuuko Kanoe ask that my people forgive me for my acts of s-selfishness and disrespect. I also ask forgiveness on behalf of the Kanoe family in handling our situation."

Yukariko's mind snaps out of frightened state as her sister's voice enters the air.

_What are you doing?_

"If you are willing to do that, the…then…." The feeling of terror begins to swirl around her like a storm, but she doesn't break her stance. "I-I Yuuko Kanoe will willingly offer myself to appease the mountain god."

Yukariko's body pulls and jerks ferociously in an attempt to break free, but her attempts bear no positive results as her captor's hold is too strong.

"What are you saying!"

The mob of people quiets down at first until someone breaks the silence.

"I forgive you!"

After that first sentence goes through the air, the flood gates open.

"We forgive you for your sins girl!"

"You truly are worthy!"

Moments later the elder quiets down the crowd and with his hands.

"It is settled. This girl will be offered to the mountain god tonight. The ceremony will be held at the underground shrine."

The elder motions for to walk forward, and she willing complies. The seas of demons parts as the two walk forward with Yukariko begin pushed behind. Yuuko's body cringes as ghoulish hands molest their victim's legs, back, and wherever else they could touch as she parades by. Yukariko's throat becomes hot as the the contents of her stomach threatens to invade it due to the abhorrent behavior that was being used to demean her sister.

_I have to do something. Yuuko needs my help. _

Yukariko struggles with her captive, but to no avail as he jostles her around. As the gate of the school building becomes easier to view, Yuuko's progress begins to come to a halt. Haunting visions begin to intrude her mind as the schoolyard plays host to beings with no facial features, but eyes that have malicious intent.

_No..._

Her knees impacts the ground as her legs give way on her legs lock up. The elder turns around to notices the tribute trembling on the ground, but pays it little mind as he signals to her former captor to bring her in. The male rips her up from the dirt and holds her to his chest while forcefully dragging her into the building. Terror has taken over the girl's entire being as her breaths begin to get shallower by the second and the ferocity of her heart beats increase. With every step Yuuko's eyes hysterically bounce between the corridor.

_Save me..._

After minutes of traveling, the two sisters finally enter into a room that was all too familiar. The walls adorned with flicking lights, the floor lay bare, and the entrance to hell stood open for all to enter. Yuuko is moved to the center of the room while her sister is taken to the side in order so more individuals can file in. As Yuuko examines her surroundings more closely, she notices two men standing by the entrance to the basement. The man on the left having some objects in both hands, but due to the darkness she's unable to make them out. The male on the right stand firmly with something long dangling to the ground. Her eyes narrow in an attempt to dispel the darkness enveloping it. After much concentration her eyes are able to discern the glistening head of the object adorning it's long wooden stem. The sound of broken bone

_Not again...not again...not again..._

Whatever calmness the adolescent once had inside her emotionally mixed being was ejected from her being as adrenaline surges through her body. Her arms jerk assaults her captor's body but he's able to hold on to her many blows. Thrusting her head backwards, her skull crashes into the man's face causing him to release his grip. In her haste she makes a dash in to the entrance, but stops as she sees the ghastly images in impeding her progress. Suddenly, something grabs hold of her long, black haired and brings her to the floor causing pain to shoot through the back of her head. While reeling from the impact, the sensation of a hand grabbing her sends waves of fire through her body.

"Someone…help me!"

Yukariko blood boils and as she attempts to move forward to help her sister, but is unable to make any progress. The beastly villagers maneuver themselves around her Yuuko's body, first pinning down her hands with knees, hands, elbows, or whatever they thought would prevent the young woman from freeing herself.

"Please…help me," she pleads with her voice breaking from her sobs.

The extremities of the monsters soon cover her mouth muffling her desperate cries for help. Yukariko looks on at her sister's bloodshot eyes as tears stain her face and the wood below her. She could hardly as the monsters pulling apart her legs exposing her for everyone to see. Tears begin to well up in the Yukariko's eyes watching her sister struggle for her life, but her seeing her movements begin to slow by the second. Her heart breaks even more knowing the fact that she can't turn her head away from this harsh reality nor can she close her heart to her sister's agony like previously.

_Is this what I subjected her to before…This…this…is barbaric. _

The mob leader motions for one of the men by the basement door to come over. Yukariko watches helplessly as the male journeys across the room holding something long in his hand. The closer he progresses to the center of the room, the more her heart began to drop as she realizes what he's carrying. Yukariko struggles with all the strength that she possesses to break free from the man's grip, but is unable to get her captor to budge.

_Please don't do this._

Yukariko stares at her sister's terrified eyes as she notice the man standing on the side of her previously injured leg holding his destructive tool. Her body jerks continuously in an attempt to free herself from her assailant, but she is unable to break their iron grips. The flow of time slow to a crawl for her as she watches the instrument into the air. The feeling of the pain, courses through her leg again causing her to wince. She shuts her eyes tightly trying not to witness the violence that is about about to perpetrated against her.

_*sob*_

"Stop," Yukariko shouts as the tool comes down on her sister's limb.

The sickening crack her bone shoots through the room and into the corridor while blood splatters on the floor next to her. Yuuko's pain receptors are overloaded as the signals travel from her every part of her body to her brain. Her eyes instantly shoot open with the veins shooting springing forth towards her pupils like possessed roots. The demons around her silence as she releases a cry that chills many of the onlookers to the core while her sobs trail behind it. Her convulsing body is in held firmly in place as the assailants holding her down stare at the bloodied bone protruding from the side of the girl's leg. Yukariko's stomach tosses some of its juices upwards scorching her throat as she gazes at her sister's bent limb. Traumatized by the event she just witnessed, her pigmentation lessens as the scene mentally plays back in her head.

_We all deserve to be sent to the worse regions of hell. _

Her mind attempts to trap the girl into an endless loop of sorrow, but she snaps out of it when she hears the crowd around her increase their volume. Upon returning to reality, she notices the man circling around to her other leg.

"Leave her alone!"

Yuuko's overactive body could feel the vibrations of something on the opposite side of herself. Moving her eyes to the position, she notices the same man readying to assault her once again, but her energy was depleted after the initial attack. As the item is once again raised above the guy's head, her gaze shifts to the darkened ceiling of the room_._

*sob*

The strike pushes the bone through the skin of her leg, but this time she makes no sound. The men slowly release their grips on the girl as they notice her body stops its convulsion. Yukariko throws kicks her leg back, hitting her captor in the genital, and dropping him to the floor. Though her body had gotten it's momentary freedom and is slowly walking forward, her mind is still recovering from the recurring loops today's event in unison with her betrayal. Dropping to the floor, she looks into her sister's lifeless eyes. Her heart shatters as she takes the older girl's head and pushes it into her bosom.

_Damn them, damn this village, and damn me. _

Examining Yuuko's body, she covers her mouth as she gets a closer look at her darkened skin blemishes around her open wounds. This was the first time she had seen such wounds close up before. The patter of feet burst through the crowd as their father and grandfather enter into the room. Both males heart disintegrate when they notice Yukariko on the ground holding a broken Yuuko in her arms. Suddenly both men are ambushed and apprehended.

"What's the meaning of this?"

The elderly man walks closer to the girl's body and casts his glance at Elder Kanoe.

"Since the honor of your family was restored due to the young lady right here, there was no need for you to be Akahito, so I took the responsibility upon myself."

"This was completely unnecessary."

The new Akahito looks down at the streaks of blood coming from Yuuko's injuries before addressing the elder again.

"It was necessary. She had to feel the pain, the suffering, and the sadness that everyone else felt when she ran away from her duties. Now, she is ready to truly be our perfect sacrifice."

"You're insane."

The elderly man makes a head motion to towards the basement and the other men acknowledge him. The father and grandfather are picked up, while another man comes and grabs Yukariko. In her grief, she lacks the ability to fight back, and Yuuko's head bounces off of the floor.

"The Kanoe family has been forgiven for the incompetence, but for atonement you will look over this offering until the mountain god has claimed her as his."

The three members are pushed towards the entrance of the basement, being accompanied by the elderly man. They take each step carefully until they reach the bottom. Grabbing the strands of rope that are present each person gets tied to a stake that was put there recently. Shortly after being tied, another set of footsteps comes down the stairs. After reaching the bottom, they all see the body of Yuuko being placed on the ground towards the shrine, but not on the cave floor. The man grabs Yuuko's arm and stretches it above her head with little to no resistance. He places an object in her hand and with the other hand brings something above his head. With a mighty stroke, the girl lets out a shrill shriek as the object tears through her flesh and implants itself in the wood. Taking her other hand, he repeats the same pattern with the same results. Both men head towards the stairs before the elderly man talks again.

"You'll have visitors every so often, so do be on your best behavior."

The two men make their way up the stairs, disappearing from the dim lighting from above. The three captive Kanoe's examine the their surroundings to get a feel of the basement layout. Finding nothing important, their eyes are drawn to lit candles beside the shrine. Talisman hang amongst the various points of the cave, while a sake bottle sits next to the shrine on the floor. Bringing their eyes along the ground each person fights not to look away from the scene of Yuuko before them. The blood slowly seeps from the bone pierced locations of her legs, her red eyes staring at the ceiling, and her white hands stained red from the spikes driven through them. Yukariko watches her lips as they make the same sentence repeatedly.

_What is it she's saying?_

Carefully trying to read the girl's lips once again, she's able to pick up the 'W' motion at the beginning of the chant. With a couple more repetitions, she's finally able to understand the distressing words plaguing the girl's mind.

_Why me?_

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Sea of Chaos

**A/N:Ikiryō****("living spirit") ****The ikiryō has been described in some sources as a kind of astral projection by a person's intense emotions. Sources disagree as to the particular characteristics of the ikiryō, such as whether it is visible to people other than its intended victim and whether it is the actual soul of a person traveling away from its body or a separate spirit given life by the creator's emotions.**

The atmosphere within the basement of the academy reeks of despair, fear, and shame as the Kanoe-clan lays trapped within the clutches of the local populace. The minutes soon roll into hours, each person confined within their own version of this cruel performance. Father's eyes randomly inspect the injured area of his daughter's legs with a prayer that they don't get any worse. Grandfather's eyes have been sealed away in hopes of not having to view his granddaughter's bare body, while Yukariko stares blankly into space. Yuuko battles the sharp, burning pain in her legs as she tries not to drown her family's ear with her howls of pain. The aching in her arms from remaining in one position too long begins to wear on her mind, and she subconsciously starts to readjust herself. Her shoulders gyrate upwards, giving her room to push her elbows outwards, but the range of motions isn't sufficient enough to remove the soreness. She thrusts her shoulder harder, but overexerts herself and ends up shifting her hands too much. Yuuko clamps her lips and eyes shut as razors slice away at the edges of her hand-wounds, producing a series of gagged weeping.

"Yuuko, try not to move," her father advises, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"I'm t-trying, but my body is getting stiff."

"I know, Yuuko, but if you move too much you're going to hurt yourself more."

"Don't you think the girl knows that?" his father blurts out, ruining their moment.

Yuuko and her father shift their attention to the irritated, eldery man and quiet down. His hands clench and unclench into fists as his eyelids dance, not wanting to open them. Yuuko's eyes notice the man's reaction and her curiosity begins to get the best of her.

"You don't have to torture yourself like that, Grandfather."

Her grandfather raises his head in the air, still keeping his eyes shut. His arms yank at the ropes binding his arms to the stake behind him, but he's unable to free himself.

"Don't say crazy things like that. I do possess a trait called decency."

"I suppose locking your granddaughter away to die would fall under that same category?"

Yuuko's father sharply focuses on his daughter surprised look. Moving his eyesight to his father, he sees that his eyes have remained closed, still clenching and unclenching his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Grandfather. I…I didn't mean to say that."

Her words receive no answer as the basement room is flooded with silence yet again. Her eyes shift back up to the dark ceiling as the stiffness in her shoulders begins to aggravate her again. Her father's eyes remained locked on his parent in confusion of his action.

_I thought he would have had something to say about her outburst._

Suddenly, a shadow appears in the once-empty doorway above them, accompanied by the sounds of feet pattering down the wooden steps. The body of a middle-aged man positions itself between Yukariko and her grandfather, holding a pitcher and a basket. Yuuko's eyes begin to sparkle when she realizes what the man has in his possession, but her excitement quickly deteriorates as the male ignores her.

_Food… water… which aren't for me._

Repositioning himself to the other side of her grandfather, he places the pitcher on the ground and removes a loaf of bread from the basket. Placing the piece of bread up to the man's face, he motions for him to eat it. Their father jerks his head to the side at first, but takes several bites of the food later. The liquid inside of the pitcher splashes around its container's wall as it leaves from one vessel to another. Placing the cup to the man's lips, their father gulps down the cool and refreshing liquid until the pitcher is empty. The middle-aged man then takes another piece of bread from the basket, forgetting their father and instead maneuvering his hands towards the elderly man.

"I am fine, young man. You can give my portion to the girl on the floor."

"I was told to only give water and food to you three."

"I humbly decline."

The guard takes the turned-down ration and places himself in front of Yukariko. He holds the food up to her mouth, but her expression remains distant, resulting in him withdrawing the food from her face. He tries to feed the girl yet again, with a bit more force this time, but her facial expression remains as emotionless as before.

"Is she okay?" he asks, looking down at Yukariko's purple eyes.

Waving his hands in front her face, her lack of a response causes his heartbeat to hasten. He places his hand up to the girl's perspiring skin and feels her pulse beating normally.

"Leave her be, she's just overwhelmed by the horrible spectacle you put on earlier."

The sentry looks over at the grandfather before journeying back up the stairs. His form disappears from the light of the door as suddenly as it came. The elderly man turns his head towards his son in disappointment as his concealed eyes mentally bore into the male's head for his previous actions. Yuuko's eyes rise up from the floor and focus on the dull eyes of her sister. She focuses on erecting a wall in order to dull the pain before speaking.

"Yukariko."

Yuuko gets no reaction from the young woman.

"Yukariko... Are you there?"

The expression on her sister's face refuses to acknowledge Yuuko's attempts to bring her to reality. Yuuko puckers her lips to converse with the girl again, but her newly erected wall crumbles due to the intense efforts of her agony. Tears cascade down the young woman's cheeks at the sensation, her injury feeling like someone had just poured gasoline in it and set it ablaze. Her teeth clench in order to endure the wave of pain that floods her body, but the pain is too great and her wails of discomfort escape into the room for everyone to feel.

* * *

Yuuko's scream rips through the space of the dimly lit room as her blood splatters across her sister's face. Yukariko makes no motion to clean herself of the blood, her eyes fixed is on Yuuko's hysterical body.

"Ruthless, don't you think?" a voice rings out behind her.

She doesn't turn her eyesight to acknowledge the person because she already knows the owner. A being dressed in a white ceremonial gown stands squarely behind her. Her light purple eyes bore into the back of the naked girl's head while Yuuko's screams become even less bearable.

"Is the pain too much to bear?"

Yukariko refuses to answer the woman and continues staring onwards as the dark, red substance on her face trickles down her neck. The image of her sister's bone protruding from her flesh produces a nauseous feeling within her stomach, which she suppresses by covering her mouth.

"I came to terms with this long ago."

A smirk appears on the woman's face as she relocates herself next to the blood stained girl. Yukariko keeps her eyes forward as shadowy figures surround the injured woman and forcefully drag her towards the spiraling abyss ahead. Blood trails across the floor as Yuuko struggles wildly to remove herself from her captors' grip.

"If that's the case, then why are you not in this scene?"

Her eyes slowly lose their fixation on Yuuko and make their way to the area around her. Yukariko looks in surprise as she realizes that the only beings present are the hideous shadows throwing her sister into the darkness.

"What?"

"How many times has this played in your head? Five? Ten? How many times have you been altering your memory?"

Yukariko turns to the walk away from the scene of the attack and the woman who's badgering her, but the girl clings to her every step. Her feet increase in pace as she finds her walk quickly turning into a sprint. She travels within the darkness for a moment before she stops at the head of Yuuko's body, frozen as her terrified, crimson orbs lock onto hers. The sound of cracking rips through her ears, causing her vision to shift to the woman's mangled leg. The oozing of Yuuko's blood causes her to drop to all fours and vomit blasts onto the wooden floor. Between the violent heaving intervals, her eyes traverse the room to find the darkened figures dancing along the walls, as if they were the spectators in an arena-battle. The woman in white stands on the opposite side of Yuuko and looks down on the distraught Yukariko."

"You don't want to acknowledge that your actions were just as bad as what these people have done? Not strong enough to handle seeing your own twisted desires?"

Yukariko's eyes follow the white dress from the floor to the person's purple eyes staring back at her. The nausea that struck her before slowly makes its way back, but then disappears.

"You wallow in your own despair, while the true victim lies helplessly in front of you. There's only one person who has the right sink into depths of misery, and it's not you."

With those words, the woman in white disappears from the girl's site. Yukariko's condition remains the same as everything around her goes black, leaving her suspended in nothingness.

_She's right, but still..._

* * *

Time speeds past once again as the dim light of the room above turns from its whitish color to a dim yellow. The patter of feet can be heard along the wooden floor above as shadows turn into the doorway. Their steps jostle the two men standing in the basement, leading them to wake themselves. They notice two individuals make their way to Yuuko and bow over here with the school bags in front of them. Their eyes convey a sense of sadness as they look at the girl's restrained form.

"We're sorry you have to go through this," they say in unison as one takes a knee by her head.

Yuuko's eyes open to reveal the two women, and this sends a wave of surprise through her. Her mind quickly realizes that they are the two girls from before. The one's who approached her when she tried to come into the school.

"I can't b-believe they are letting people come here."

"I guess since everyone in the village knows about it, there's no point in trying to cover it up," the grandfather says.

"That, and we have another person distracting the guard upstairs."

Reaching into her bag, Megumi pulls out a bottle of clear liquid as well as some cloth. Placing it on the ground, she motions for Yuri to kneel beside her.

"I can't do much, but if you like I can try to sterilize your wound a little."

The thought of fire coursing through her being is enough to make her mentally shake her head, but the fact that these girls were trying to ease her situation was enough for her to agree. Yuri places her hand over Yuuko's mouth as the Megumi pours the liquid onto the cloth. The moistened cloth jumps over the wound site in and behind her hands, making the girl wince in pain. After completing both hands, Megumi folds the cloth up and hides it in her hands. Casting her glance to her legs, she notices the dried blood and broken bone and quickly removes her sight from it. Both women stand and give Yuuko a bow before leaving.

"Thank you," Yuuko says with a warm smile.

"No problem. It's the least I could after what I did before," she says as they climb the stairs and disappear from the light.

Time drags on as the sounds of moans and crying randomly emerge and subside. The light beaming from upstairs has changed from simple, bright orange to a natural white. While being blessed in the light, the dullness in Yukariko's eyes disappears as her consciousness progressively returns to reality by the sound of grunts.

_How long have I been out?_

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he father greets her.

Minor cramps flare up within Yukariko's abdomen, indicating the state of her hunger, while she gazes around the darkened area of the basement. The view of the shrine is almost nonexistent as the candles, which were once lit, have dimished. Yukariko's eyesight retreats back towards the location of her sister's body, and she notices the shallow rise of Yuuko's chest.

"Sister?"

The silence in the room remains as Yukariko doesn't receive an answer.

_This… pain… is unbearable._

"Yuuko, are you okay?"

"Define… okay," a voice comes, slurred and fatigued.

A smile makes its way across Yukariko's face as her heart jumps for joy. A brief pause happens between the two women before words are spoken once again.

_"You're still alive."_

* * *

Three days pass at a torturous pace for the Kanoe family. The candles located at the shrine have gone out and a rancid smell has developed in their vicinity. The number of visitors varies throughout the days. Numerous students would visit Yuuko to pay their respects, others would come to add more misery with laughter and jokes, while even others would appear to just gawk at the girl's body, making inappropriate gestures or insensitive speech. Even Yukariko's classmates showed up, sticking to their earlier thoughts on the situation but mainly finding relief from watching their families suffer from the current epidemic. The only adults that appeared were those that ventured down the stairs to give the family food and water, and to take each person on a trip to the bathroom. The silence within the underground room seems like a blessing, and both the older men are on edge, knowing that at any moment Yuuko's cries could shatter their peace of mind. Knowing the situation, they don't blame the brutalized woman, but a person can only endure the sounds of agony for a finite amount of time before it chips away at their soul. Yukariko continues to struggle in hopes of freeing herself and her sister from their imprisonment, but it feels as though it's only a dream.

_How long is this going to last?_

Yukariko's thought process is derailed after a series of feeble cries and coughs can be heard coming from the shrine direction. Her stomach begins to churn as the sound cuts deeper into her being. She attempts to drown out the sounds of her sister's suffering, but finds it difficult with her proximity and the echoing of her voice.

"It's… so hot."

Yukariko attempts to free herself again by running her restraints against the wooden stake, but the results stay the same. Her head drops in failure as the noise in her ear serves to discourage rather than motivate her. She transfers her vision in the direction of her father and grandfather and watches as the two attempt to lock Yuuko's wail out of their mind.

"Isn't there something we can do?"

The two men remain in silence upon hearing the girl's desperate question.

"In this state, there's nothing we can do, Yukariko."

"There has to be something! We can't just give up."

"No one's given up, but you have to realize that we are useless like this."

Yukariko anger begins to rise as her dad's defeated attitude prods at her. Her attention shifts to her grandfather, but he remains silent, his eyes firmly locked behind his eyelids.

"You tw…"

"S-stop arguing," a fragile voice interjects.

The arguing members of the family quiet down in surprise upon hearing Yuuko's sudden outburst. Yuuko's flaming breath escapes across her already-cracking lips as she stares up at the ceiling.

"Stop... fighting. I don't want my last thoughts to be of you arguing with one another."

The sound of the wind blowing through the enclosed space lightens the mood as Yuuko speaks her words. The dripping of water, colliding with an unseen puddle, breaks the silence amongst the family as everyone tries to not look at her.

"Don't talk like that, Yuuko. You're going to be okay," Yukariko blurts out.

A chuckle escapes the teenager's lips before addressing her sister's words.

"I know…"

"We'll get you out of here. I promise."

A moment of silence elapses before words are spoken again. Yuuko can feel the side of her throat begin to pulsate lightly.

"I know... you will."

A shadow from above appears as it makes its way down the steps. Planting his feet on the wooden floor, he places the food on the floor and begins offering it to Yukariko first. The air quality in the prison-cell progressively gets heavier the longer the guard is present. After attempting to feed his captors, he turns his attention towards Yuuko. The elder's blind streak comes to an end as his eyes creaks open, finally getting another glimpse of his prison for the first time since being brought down. As he casts his eyes near the area of the shrine, his eyes almost jump from his head.

_What is that?_

The sentry stands over the girl's motionless body, but is unaware of the entity standing beside him with its red, glistening eyes locked onto Yuuko's hidden face. His eyes gloss over the girl's injuries, as well as her mature form, before bending down to do a closer inspection. Yukariko watches as a darkening image gains form while only standing in one place.

"Get away from her!" Yukariko shouts, but the male neglects her words.

He covers his nose as the scent emanating from the girl begins to irritate his sense of smell. His eyes gaze upon the reddened area around the facture site, before moving his hand above it.

"That's nasty."

He moves his eyes up her pale skin and looks at her face to notice her eyes aren't open. Using his index finger, the male pokes her heated skin.

"Are you still alive?"

The shadow's head turns towards the male like a wind-up doll, revealing its deep crimson eyes. The grandfather tries to utter words of warning, but gets choked up by the fear of what he sees. Splashing the saliva around in his mouth, he musters the courage to try again.

"Get away," Yukariko and her grandfather shout in unison.

While the guard turns his head towards the younger man, the figure's darkened hand rubs rigidly across his face. Returning his vision back to the girl's injury, fear suddenly washes over the sentinel. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices something black swimming across the girl's stomach that wasn't there before. Following the unknown object to the root, he's met with the cold, red eyes of something unknown. He falls backwards and propels himself away, quickly colliding into the legs of the elder. His body trembles as he gazes at the creature's dark, bared hair, pale skin, tall, mature build, deformed legs, stigmatized hands, and emotionless face. The guard's vision quickly shifts from the person, to the woman on the floor, and back again.

"This is impossible," he says. Soon, however, his body begins to convulse and he losses consciousness.

The being takes its attention away from the unconscious sentry and returns back to its initial position. Kneeling down in front of Yuuko's body, the figure glosses over her form. The condition is repugnant and dried blood liters her once white hands; her pale, clammy skin is warm to the touch. She carefully places her fingers under one of the hands that's nailed down and inches the object from the floor board. The being's face writhes in pain as it places the girl's hand gently before moving to the next one. The second object barely budges when the figure exerts it's force on the object. The being takes a moment before applying even greater effort into freeing the girl's hand. The object comes out of the wood, but not without a chilling shriek erupting from the pale girl's mouth, tears staining her and Yuuko's face. Placing the second hand firmly down, it picks itself up and begins walking towards the stairs. Crossing paths with Yukariko, the woman stands in front of the girl and locks eyes with her. The two females stare at each other intensely before Yukariko breaks due to the overwhelming feeling that something was crawling deep within her chest. Though defeated in the stare-down, Yukariko can't stop thinking about the similarities of its features to Yuuko's. Her eyes widen as the replica reaches behind the girl and loosens her bindings. Yukariko rushes over to her grandfather and unties him, and next her Father. The entity begins its ascent up the stairs when a noise erupts.

"Wait!"

The grandfather's words thunders off the wood in the room, causing the entity to stop in front of him. The two stare at each other with cold, unflinching eyes.

"What are you?"

"Don't you have other issues to worry about?" she answers in a voice similar to Yuuko's, but her's is hoarse.

Elder Kanoe shifts his glance to the unconscious man and then back to the girl in front of him.

"What did you do to that boy?"

"Why does it matter?"

The grandfather's eyes shift to the girl's body lying on the floor.

"Are you my granddaughter?"

It raises its hand to her face, staring deeply into the holes that are engraved into its hands. A sadistic grin plasters itself on the being's face as a rush of emotions courses through its body.

"Perhaps," the woman says before walking towards the stairs.

"I said wait, girl!" the elderly man shouts, grabbing hold of the beings arm.

Almost immediately, the man's body feels like someone plowed into him with a truck. He crumbles to the ground.

"Grandfather!" Yukariko says, coming to the stunned man's aid.

He reels from the foreign attack but is able to regain his composure without assistance from Yukariko. Father stares at the girl as she ascends the stairs once again, but says nothing as she vanishes from the doorway. Yukariko's field of vision shifts to the woman on the ground. Moving quickly, she kneels down and gets a glimpse of the bags under her eyes and the cracked skin of her lips. Yukariko wraps her arms around the girl and readies herself to pull her towards the stairs, away from the darkness, when he father's voice shoots into her ear.

"DON'T MOVE HER!"

Her movements halt as he makes his way over to their location. He gets on one knee and examines Yuuko's leg injuries closely. His stomach churns, looking at the swollen skin around it in company with a massive bruise-mark. He moves his vision above her head and gently grasps her hands. Examining them, he finds that they are swollen around the entry site as well. Placing his a hand on his daughter's forehead, it hastily retracts as the heat he experiences flips the panic switch within him. He thrusts his fingers on the girl's flaming, perspiring neck and lets out a sigh of relief as the minuet thumping within it is apparently.

"She's alive, but she needs medical assistance. ASAP."

Yukariko and her father look at the each before casting their eyes to the grandfather, who currently stares in their direction. They sit there longer than needed as Yukariko gets up and shoots for the stairs with no regard for her safety or naked state.

"Come back. It's dangerous to go up there!"

"Someone needs to get help and you two aren't doing anything."

Yukariko's feet pound the wooden stairs as she makes her up the staircase and into the room of violence. Entering the hallway, she comes across a man lying on the ground, trembling as saliva covers the lower part of his face. His eyes look forward as if he had just seen a ghost, and his skin is as pale as one. She picks up her pace and finally arrives at the teacher's lounge. Picking the phone up, she desperately scrambles and inputs the number to the emergency line. Filling in the woman to the situation, she hangs up the phone and tries to catch her breath. Her eyes make their way out of the window that overlooks the school gate. As her vision of school yard sharpens, she can make out the image of a figure with long, black hair staring back at her with it's carnivorous eyes. A moment passes before the entity turns its attention away from her and makes it's way down the road. Yukariko stares as the image of her fades into the distance before running back to her prison cell.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	8. Into Brighter Days and Hideous Nights

The sun's warm rays melt into Yuuko's skin as she traverses the empty streets of her village. The morning wind throws her tangled locks around while passing by, also managing to move the gray, dawdling clouds overhead. An eerie shadow is cast upon the young woman's naked form as her feet transfers from the hardened asphalt to the unpaved earth. With every step, the misshapen earth pokes and bites at her feet, causing minor discomfort, but her objective forces her to persevere and continue. As she approaches the first set of houses, the sound of her heartbeat increases in unity with the overwhelming feeling that is beyond description. She watches as a middle-aged man exits his house.

_This feeling is so strong._

The revitalizing beams of the sun send waves of energy through the man's body as a bright smile washes over her face. He feels like dancing as his feet come in contact with the dirty and grassy texture of the earth. Thrilled by the experience of the day, his eyes scan the vicinity for any of his neighbors to converse with, but his body is immediately frozen as he sees an all-too-familiar face staring back at him. The sinister smile that develops on her ghostly complexion sets off sirens in the man's head... a warning that danger is imminent. Frantically grasping for the door, he observes the woman's ghastly form advance towards him.

"How can you be here?" he asks, running back in the house, finally throwing the door open, and dashing inside.

The door to his domicile slams shut and his forehead connects with its wooden frame. The male's body shakes uncontrollably as his breathing runs out control. Bringing his hand to his face, the appendage collides with the cheek, causing the fear to drain out of him.

_Calm down. There's no one out there._

Coming to his senses, the gentleman releases a small chuckle before turning around to head to his kitchen. Just as his foot leaves the ground, it halts in mid-air, his heart almost stopped. He is met with the emotionless face and cold, red eyes of the girl from outside. The Yuuko's wild hair flutters with no aid as she progresses towards the villager, her hands outstretched to him. Foul liquid rolls down the male's leg as his trembling worsens by the second, almost as if his leg would shake off.

"Please have mercy…"

Planting himself against the hardened frame of the door, his hands struggle to find the appropriate area to force the door open again, giving the being enough time to caress the his face with her cold, pale hands. His body is hit with a violent burst of convulsions before dropping to the floor, his lungs gasping for air and his eyes wide in fear. Yuuko's body begins to tremble with excitement as she stares downward at her incapacitated prey. The flames that had been circulating within her once before grow in size as the pleasure of causing harm to someone threatens to possess her. Yuuko opens the door to the man's house and steps outside, closing the door to the crime scene behind her. The bright sun shines upon her pale body once more as she traverses the narrow road once again. She passes a couple of houses, vacant due to family death, before stumbles across a young boy and girl chasing each other outside. The children immediately notice her and stare in her direction. As Yuuko gets close, the children's curiosity takes hold, causing them to move in her path to associate with her. The young girl looks at Yuuko's legs and then her face before speaking to her.

"Yuuko!"

The fiend stops in her tracks after hearing the girl address her.

_Yuuko, is that my name?_

The girl notices Yuuko's adult features along with the misshapen visuals or her legs and hands, which causes her pause.

"Why are you walking around naked?"

Yuuko learns down and gives the young girl a smile.

"I lost my clothes."

The children look at each other upon hearing the woman's voice. The hoarse tone causes their eyebrows to rise in confusion. Until now, both children didn't notice how sickly her complexion looked.

"You don't look well, Yuuko," the girl claims.

The young boy extends his hand to the teenager with a worried look on his face.

"You should come with us. I'm sure our parents would be happy to help you."

The sound of a heartbeat drowns out every noise the girl could perceive before. The fire inside of her intensifies slightly at the new opportunity presented before her. Placing her hand outwards, she takes the child's hand and gives him a manufactured smile on her face.

"Thank you."

The young girl leads the way to the house, and as they arrive at the entrance to their home she peels back the door, allowing entrance for the trio.

"Mother! Father! We have a guest."

Moments later, the sound footsteps make their way into the narrow hallway of the children's home. As the two adults move closer to their location, the look on Yuuko's face contorts to a menacing gaze, ready for the ignorant individuals. The parents come around the corner with curious looks on their faces as to who could visit them at this time of day. As they get a look at the woman standing with their children, their blood runs ice cold. Yuuko's murderous eyes root the adults' feet to the hardened floor as their complexion worsens by the second. The daughter is puzzled as to why her parents are acting as if they'd just seen a ghost.

"Why do you two look like th...?"

The children's bodies hit the floor with a pair of light thuds, leaving her alone with two deer caught in her headlights. Yuuko's barbed hair dances wildly in the corridor as she progresses her way to the cowering individuals. As she stands before the two, the fear within their eyes makes her heart leap for joy as she recognizes the man as the captor from her home.

"Y-you're supposed to be pinned down. H-How did you get here?"

"I walked."

Yuuko's finger runs down the arm of the father's white shirt before stopping on the thigh of his pants. Applying pressure, her index finger penetrates the man's thigh muscle, causing him to topple to the side. Scorching, pain envelopes his body as his anguished screams fill the house. The mother looks on as the father tries to crawl away from his assailant, but his body suddenly goes limp as Yuuko punctures this male's back with the same finger. Tears stream down the mother's face as Yuuko's gaze pierces her to the core.

"P-Please don't kill me."

"Why not?"

"My c-children don't have anyone else."

Yuuko's gaze shifts to the two children sleeping next to the front door of the house, and then her gaze moves back to the pleading woman next to her. Yuuko steps away from the woman, letting her collapse to the floor.

"Children shouldn't be left alone. You never know what evil may be lurking near their home or inside it."

Yuuko's eyes seem to turn a deeper shade of red as her hair extends crawls towards the terrified woman's ankles. The mother frantically tries to remove her bindings but more of Yuuko's black, tangled locks grasp the woman's wrists, restraining her from doing so. The mother's eyes widen as the demon's evil smile advances towards her. A banshee's scream echoes through the house, with both silence and darkness following shortly behind it.

* * *

The blinding light claws at the young woman's eyes while her vision attempts to adjust to her new surroundings. As the image in front of the girl clears, she can't resist the urge to stare at the woman in the white suit holding the clipboard to her face. The sounds of the scribbling, colliding papers and electronic whizzing forces the girl to erect a mental wall to drown out the noises, but her lack of concentration sends the obstacle tumbling down. The clipboard vibrates against its holder as the woman places the item where it belongs and begins her travels out of the room. As she opens the door, she gives her patient one final look and notices that her eyes are staring at her.

"Oh… You're awake."

The female hastily places herself at the injured teen's bedside and checks her pupils with her flashlight. Her scarlet eyes ascend to the woman's face in order to get a better view of who this individual is and why she seems to have such a fascination with her.

_Where am I?_

"Do you know where you are?" the woman in white asks almost simultaneously.

Yuuko's eyes stay locked on the woman face while her ears are being bombarded with the sound of machines around her. Her carnation lips part to answer the woman's question, however; emptiness is all that is ejected out of her mouth. She opens her mouth to answer the question once more, but, the stench of failure pollutes the air once again, causing her thin brows to arch downward in frustration.

_Why can't I speak?_

Retrieving the clipboard from its holder, the clicking sound of her pen echoes in the room before the sound of writing erupts.

"Patient isn't able to speak. I guess I should have known that. Anyway, do you know why you are here?"

Yuuko shakes her head hesitantly.

"Do you know where you're from?"

_This is easy._

In the her mind, a hand reaches into her box of memories, tossing around item after item in search for the answer to the simple question. The hand withdraws from the box, but to her dismay, the article that she was sure would be easily accessible is actually unobtainable. The moments pass, making the doctor impatient.

"Do you know where you are from?"

The brunette hesitantly shakes her head at the question.

"What is your name?"

_What is… my name?_

The black-haired teenager digs in her mind's bag again, scrambling to find any traces of the answer in which she's looking for. Removing her hand to find nothing being held, the space within her mind begins to bend and distort.

_Why can't… why can't I remember my name?_

The doctor makes quick notice of the patient's bandaged hands going from its open position to a fist.

"You can't answer it?"

The patient shakes her head in disgust.

"Well, Ms. Yuuko, you can call me Dr. Nimura. It appears that you have retrograde amnesia. In case you don't know what that means, you're having trouble remembering parts of your past. Of course, that's the simplified version. You've been in a coma for five weeks now, so it's great to see that you've finally come around."

_Hospital… Yuuko…_

The words dance around Yuuko's mind, causing her to shift her focus from the women to the illuminated scenery surrounding her. The bright lights of the hospital room, the buzzing of the machines next to her bed, and tubes sticking out of her confirm the woman's words to be truth. As she moves her eyes back to the doctor, she notices the bandages on her hands. Lifting them closer to her face, her eyes stare curiously as to why her are wrapped to such a degree. After seeing this, she realizes that she doesn't have free range of her legs either, as they are held in thick casts.

_What happened to me?_

Dr. Nimura observers the teenager's expression as she ignorantly looks at injured limbs.

"From the information we've gathered, it appears you were in a freak accident. The infections you contracted did considerable damage to your heart, vocal cords, and minor damage to your brain. Even with those injuries, you should be able to make a full recovery."

_Infections?_

The doctor begins making motions for the door, leaving Yuuko to process the new information.

"I would recommend that you rest, since you won't be able to do much in your condition."

Yuuko's hands collide against the firm bedding before the woman makes it to the door, causing her to shift her attention back to the recovering teenager. The depressed expression she wears forces the woman to scratch her head. The doctor gives the girl a forced smile before speaking again.

"Don't look so gloomy; you do have someone that's thinking about you," the doctor says, pointing towards her window. "I'm that person will return any day now."

Yuuko's eyes turn towards the window. Sitting upon a nicely decorated table, a crystal vase stands alone with numerous red roses sprouting it walls. The sight of the flowers penetrates and destroys the depressing atmosphere that was violently attempting to overwhelm the young woman, bringing a smile to her fatigued face.

_I guess this isn't completely bad._

* * *

The days and nights come and go at random intervals as Yuuko losses and regains consciousness, slowly recovering from her injuries. While sleeping, the raven-haired woman has no worries, but while awake the loneliness that surrounds slowly begins to eat away at the young woman's heart and self-esteem. On this cloudy Friday afternoon, Yuuko lays bedridden as thoughts of her current situation race from one dark corner of her mind to another. Yuuko glances over at the beautiful flowers sitting in front of her window.

_I wonder if the doctor or nurses put that there._

She moves her downcast face to her hands and examines them closer. Usually the sight of the flowers is enough to ward away the loneliness the young woman is feeling, however; immunity has occurred from overuse of the tactic. Yuuko's chest begins to tighten as she starts to question herself more.

_She said I was in an accident. I wonder if my family was killed. That would be the only reason they wouldn't have to come to see me, right?_

The tightness in the girl's chest suddenly fades away and is replaced by a sweeping feeling of uncertainty and sadness.

_Maybe I was an orphan all along._

Her face radiates depression the longer she thinks on the topic of her missing friends and family. While Yuuko lies zoned out in her self-pity, a young woman walks into the room with a long purple uniform and her school bag. She looks at the bandaged Yuuko sitting down on her bed and staring down at her hands, and her heart is overwhelmed. The girl's bag colliding with the floor snaps the woman out of her inner prison. The visitor's eyes begin to water as she briskly walks towards and tightly embraces her sister.

"Yuuko…"

The female's embrace gets tighter by the second as her heart pours out onto the recovering teen. The sinking feeling of depression begins to dissipate the longer the stranger clings to her mature body. Yuuko stares intently at the woman's shoulder, not wanting to break up the awkward but happy 'reunion' the two are currently undergoing.

_Who is this person?_

"I tried to get here when the doctor said you were awake, but we kept running into issues."

The abusive girl removes herself from Yuuko's body to give her space to breath. Her heart aches as she observers the states of her sister's wounds. She wipes the tears from her eyes and gives the girl a nice smile.

"Have you been doing well?"

Yuuko pauses before beginning to open her mouth to answer the girl's question.

_The patient isn't able to speak, _a familiar voice enter her mind.

She instantly shuts her mouth and gives the young woman a nod. At that moment, a male enters the room and takes a seat against the window. Yuuko gaze focuses on his stoic expression before her attention is brought back to her first visitor.

"What have you been doing?"

Sweat begins to build on Yuuko's forehead, for now she's required to speak. She looks at the girl and then shakes her head at her.

"She won't be able to answer you, Yukariko. She can't speak, nor does she remember who you or any of us are."

Yukariko's gaze shifts to the man in the chair and then back to the girl sitting beside her. Yuuko's tries to keep her composure as the strange girl from before looks as though she's been lied to.

"Is that true?"

Yuuko slowly removes her eyesight from the girl and stares at her bed-spread. Gripping the sheets with her busted hands, Yuuko nods her head as she feels her emotions start to run away with her. The expression on Yukariko's face shifts to that of disappointment, unable to believe that her beloved sister has forgotten about her, but still her heart sinks as she watches Yuuko's eyes begin to water.

_Oh Yuuko. It's like we're meeting for the first time, isn't it? As long as you don't have to remember those painful memories, I can be okay with you forgetting about our past._

The girl removes her mask of disappointment and replaces it with a jovial expression. Feeling the situation, she strolls over to Yuuko and embraces her tightly again, this time giving her playful kiss on her cheek.

"I'm Yukariko Kanoe, your younger sister. It's nice to meet you again. Let's make more fun memories to replace the ones you've forgotten."

_I have a sister? She seems so nice, but should I really trust these people?_

Her questions spawn a seed of doubt that hastily germinates through the young woman's mind and body, threatening to strangle all of her newfound emotions. Just as its root reaches the entrance to her heart, Yukariko grip squeezes Yuuko's slender frame even harder, somewhat like a clamp. Instantly, overwhelming warmth pours into Yuuko's battered body, halting the invader's advances and incinerating its existence. Yuuko's arms instinctively embrace her newfound sister, returning the pure gesture back to her counterpart.

_This is nice, _both women think in unison.

Yuuko's consciousness gradually darkens as her energy seeps out of her body and into the blissful atmosphere the two have created. Yukariko feels the weight of the woman dropping onto her, and understands that her sister is falling asleep. Her hand adorns the back of her black hair as she gracefully guides her sister's head to the soft body of her pillow. The cheery smile in conjunction with her peaceful demeanor gives the sleeping beauty appearance of a princess from a fairy tale. Yukariko's soft lips deliver a quick kiss to her sibling's forehead before moving herself towards the window and placing her hand on the flowers. Reaching to the top of the vase, she removes a rose that looks significantly older than the others, but just as beautiful.

_I won't let you wither away._

Yukariko's father gets up and exits the room in order to give them time together. As he steps out of the door, an ominous presence seems to come out of nowhere. Shaking the feeling off, he presses onward down the hall.

_I'll never understand the relationship between my daughters, _he thinks to himself amongst the seas of noises within the hospital.

As the distance between him and the room increases, so does the figure of the naked woman wearing an insidious smile. Her scarlet eyes glow brightly as she gazes upon the two women inside of the hospital room.

"You cowards won't be able to elude me forever."

THE END

**A/N: I want to thank**** JustAnotherGirlInTheWorld**** for beta reading my chapters, and you the reader for showing interest in my tale. I hope to see you for my next Dusk Maiden of Amnesia tale, Descent into Darkness.**


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